Spc. Brian Ritzberg Jr. was a whiz with computers and one day hoped to be a police officer.

Ritzberg, 24, Long Island City, N.Y., was killed April 2, 2007, after a roadside bomb detonated near his unit in Kirkuk, Iraq. He was assigned to the 977th Military Police Company, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley.

Jean Ritzberg, Brian's grandmother, noted that her grandson had recently celebrated his second wedding anniversary and would have turned 25 in April.

"Brian was a very sweet, spirited man," she told the "Spread the Word: Iraq-Nam" website. "He had a good heart and was good to people. This is a tremendous loss to our family."

Jean Ritzberg said her grandson had a great knowledge of computers and was popular in school, having won numerous medals as a member of the track team.

Ritzberg had been in the U.S. Army two years, and was going to use his military experience in law enforcement once he left the service.

Brian Ritzberg Sr. had recently sent his son a watch because he would lose track of the time.

"He was a nice, sensitive person," said the senior Ritzberg.

On his MySpace page, where he called him self Soldier X, Ritzberg wrote, "To me family is the most important thing life has to offer. When the world turns its back on you, they will always be there."

At his memorial service held at Fort Riley in early April, Maj. Robert Ruskievicz described his peformance as "vigilant" and "courageous," adding that ''he will be remembered for helping other soldiers."

Ritzberg graduated from Thomas A. Edison Vocational and Technical School in 2002 smd attended Kingsborough Academy in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he received an associates degree. For one year he worked security for JCP International.

In April of 2004 he joined the U.S. Army Reserve, stationed at Uniondale, N.Y. In June of 2005, he became active duty Army and attended training at Fort Leonardwood, Mo. Upon completion of his military police training, he was assigned to the 116th Military Police Company, Fort Riley, as a gunner and driver in the 2nd Platoon.

In October of 2006, he was re-assigned to the 977th Military Police Company as a gunner and driver in the 3rd Platoon. He deployed with that unit in early February.

Awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (posthumously), the Purple Heart, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Combat Action Badge.

Along with his father and grandmother, he is survived by his wife, Clara Ritzberg; his mother, Margaret Fields; and his brothers, Dashawn, Jamal and Saquawn Davis.