Army Staff Sgt. Jorge Pena-Romero, 29, Fallbrook; Killed on Patrol in Baghdad

Army Staff Sgt. Jorge Pena-Romero’s position as master gunner set him apart from other tank commanders in his troop of about 80, based out of Ft. Irwin, Calif., north of Barstow.

As master gunner, it was his job to keep the unit’s tank arms in fighting form. And when the troop learned that it would be deployed to Iraq in armored Humvees, not tanks, it was Pena who helped the group train on and master the new equipment.

Despite his important position, Pena -- who went by only one last name -- didn’t look down on anyone, said Sgt. Jason Morris, a friend from Ft. Irwin.

“There’s a difference in the military between following someone because of rank and because of respect.... People had a lot of respect for him,” Morris said. “His leadership style is one of the best I’ve come across in a long time.”

Pena, 29, of Fallbrook, Calif., was killed July 16 in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device detonated near a Humvee in which he was riding, an Army spokesman said. Pena was manning the vehicle’s gun turret when the device exploded. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment at Ft. Irwin.

Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Pena moved with his family to the United States when he was 2. As a child, he liked to draw and build model planes and cars. He also loved anything to do with the military and collected newspaper clips about the Gulf War while it was going on in the early 1990s, said his wife, Melissa.

Pena joined the Army in 1995 after graduating from Fallbrook High School, where he played football, basketball and baseball.

He met his wife in 1997 while he was stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas, near her home in Austin. At the time, her sister was dating his roommate, and she wanted a partner for a double date. “My sister and his roommate didn’t last, but we did,” Melissa Pena said. They were married in 1998.

While in the Army, Pena served tours in South Korea and Kosovo. He became a U.S. citizen in 2003, the same year that he was assigned to Ft. Irwin.

Morris, Pena’s friend from the base, said he was known in the Army for being generous and compassionate, providing equipment from his personal stash if a soldier was missing a canteen or first aid pouch.

When he wasn’t working, Pena enjoyed spending time with family, his wife said. He played soccer with his daughter Alexus, 11, and the two liked challenging each other to drawing contests. Pena played football with his sons -- Jorge III, 6, and Adrian, 2 -- and enjoyed camping and showing them how to make military-issue meals in the backyard. He also built the children elaborate forts with flags and windows that opened, and was good with his hands, Melissa Pena said.

Pena redesigned his son’s stroller because the wheels were always falling off in the rocky terrain around their home. In Pena’s hands, the carriage became a blue racing car with pinstripes.

Pena deployed to Iraq with his unit in January. He was in the process of making a video of his experience in Iraq and had asked a sister if her church would start a used clothing drive, sending him clothes to give to Iraqis.

In addition to his wife and three children, Pena is survived by his parents, Jorge Sr. and Maria Pena, and four siblings. Services were held July 28 at San Fernando Mission Cemetery.