Michael P. Pittman was an optimist. Every day during his recruitment process he eagerly stopped by the Army recruiter's office after work, hoping for news that he could join up.

"He was very eager to get in," said Sgt. Eric Kleineweber. "As an older recruit, there was a lot of paperwork for him to fill out and get passed through. When one piece of paper cleared, he was ready to get another in."

Pittman, 34, of Davenport, Iowa, was killed June 15 in Baghdad by a bomb blast and small-arms fire. He was assigned to 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley.

Friends and family said Pittman was a selfless individual.

"He had his down times, but he was pretty much the one who was encouraging everybody," said his wife, Jennifer. "He was just always putting others in front of himself."

Pittman had dreams of going to college to learn to teach art.

"He loved art. He was an artist. He could draw anything and everything," said his mother, the Rev. Sandra Hughes.

Pittman had a rowdy side, too. His brother Kirk recalled  years of troublemaking, such as shooting his brother in the foot with a pellet gun. But he always put his family first, Kirk said.

"Michael told me, 'No matter what happens, my family will be taken care of,'" Kirk said. "I knew then that he was a great man.

Pittman also is survived by his children, Reannah, Micah, Christian and Joy.