DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A U.S. Army soldier from Iowa was among six soldiers killed on Saturday when a bomb exploded near their vehicle in Baghdad, the military said Tuesday.

The Department of Defense confirmed that Spc. David W. Behrle, 20, of Tipton, died of wounds suffered in the blast.

All six soldiers killed in the explosion were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division based at Fort Hood, Texas.

Behrle is Tipton’s second Iraq casualty. Iowa Army National Guard Sgt. Aaron Siskel, 22, died Nov. 29, 2003, when his convoy was ambushed in Iraq.

Behrle, who graduated in 2005 from Tipton High School, was senior class president.

“He was definitely set on being in the Army,” said a friend, Scott Woode, 20, of Tipton. “He said it felt right. That it was something he needed to do.”

Behrle was the son of Dixie Pelzer, of Tipton, and John Behrle, who lives in Nebraska.

“This is very sad. David was such a good kid, as Aaron was. We are just kind of like, ‘Why Tipton?’ “said Richard Grimoskas, superintendent of the Tipton Community School District.

Mark Weaver, a Vietnam veteran who is commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2537 in Tipton, said people in town were stunned to learn of the young soldier’s death. Behrle’s grandfather, Kenny Jedlicka, is active in the local American Legion post.

“It’s a great loss to the community. It’s a big shock for a town as small as this one to have lost our second soldier,” Weaver said.

Behrle participated in football, golf and wrestling for the Tipton High School Tigers. He had just visited the school a month or two ago while he was home on leave and had chatted with some former teachers, school officials said.

“David was a great kid, an absolutely wonderful kid. Your typical Iowa kid – very involved and everybody liked him,” Grimoskas said.