Conflict with Iraq: Marine from Tampa killed in action in Iraq

TAMPA — An 18-year-old U.S. Marine Corps reservist who put off a full academic scholarship to Florida State University to serve has been killed in action in Iraq, his family said Tuesday.

Lance Cpl. Andrew Aviles was the third soldier from Tampa and the sixth with Florida ties to die in the conflict. He was killed Monday, his family said, although the Department of Defense had not yet publicly announced his death.

Aviles, a 2002 graduate of T.R. Robinson High School who would have turned 19 later this month, was attached to the Tampa-based 4th Marine Assault Amphibian Battalion. His parents were notified Monday night that he was killed sometime that morning while his unit was crossing a bridge.

"We really aren't sure of the specifics at this time," said his 21-year-old sister, Kristine Aviles. "We're hoping that we'll get some further information as the days go on."

The impact of Andy Aviles death was felt at Robinson High School, where as a senior last year he was a popular class president, cheerleader and a member of the wrestling team. A National Honor Society member, he graduated third in his class and earned a full academic scholarship to FSU, where he planned to study business.

"He was a born leader, mature beyond his years, smart and articulate," said Kristine Aviles, who spoke to reporters at the high school Tuesday afternoon. "He always had big dreams, big aspirations, and loved his family and friends deeply."

Andy Aviles put off college because he felt he had a moral obligation to serve, his family said. He started talking about joining the Marine Corps Reserves around the end of his junior year in high school.

He graduated from boot camp in September, trained in California and was deployed Feb. 6.

"He had a great attitude about him," said his uncle, John Aviles. "He was a fighter. And he was eager for the challenge. ... He was really pumped up and ready to go, because he knew it was something that needed to be done."

His sister said she last talked to him when he was training and they discussed plans for the two of them to take a trip with their 17-year-old brother Matthew.

"We told each other we loved each other a bunch of times, and he said he was going to be back home," she said.

"We have a really huge family, and he loved being with them all the time," said his sister, a student at the University of Florida. "He loved being with his friends and just having fun with all of us. He took a lot of pride in being the cool brother, the cool cousin, the cool nephew and son. He just loved being around everybody and everybody just got so much out of being around him."

Robinson Principal Kevin McCarthy informed students of Aviles' death in a morning announcement Tuesday. He also sent home a letter to parents, saying that the school "will remember Andy not only as a great student, but also as someone who died in the service of his country."

McCarthy said Aviles led the Pledge of Allegiance at last spring's graduation ceremony and asked the principal to specially recognize those graduates who were headed for the military.

"That was his idea," McCarthy said. "That shows you the type of patriot Andy was."

About 50 Robinson students sought grief counseling after hearing the news Tuesday, said Chuck Jaksec, who leads the district's crisis intervention team.

"What makes this crisis unique is that for the last month or two, a lot of the kids have been voicing their concerns about what happens if we lose one of our own," Jaksec said. "So I think Andy's death really opened a lot of the kids up."

"This man had a phenomenal presence in this school. He was Mr. Everything."

Funeral arrangements were still incomplete Tuesday.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, 33, and Army Sgt. Wilbert Davis, 40, both Tampa natives, were killed in Iraq last week.