Family members said they were notified Thursday by military officials of the death.

Circumstances of Mounce's death were not known. A report from the U.S. Central Command on Friday said two Marines assigned to Regimental Combat Team 2, 2nd Marine Division were killed when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device near Trebil.

"He was the best and he always has been," Tiffany Mounce, Blake's wife of three years, told the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. "I love him so much. And he loved being a Marine. When he picked up his corporal ranking, he was so excited."

He had a great sense of humor, she said, and he loved to fish, hunt and ride dirt bikes.

Mounce's parents, Pat and Johnny, said their son loved being a Marine.

"After 9/11 he wanted to join," said his mother. "He loved the guys he was out there with. When he called home and asked for prayer, he didn't just ask for it for himself, but for everyone serving."

Blake was the oldest of four siblings. Funeral arrangements were pending.