A 25-year-old Schofield Barracks sergeant was killed Oct. 13 in Afghanistan when insurgents attacked his unit with small-arms fire.

The Pentagon said Staff Sgt. Houston M. Taylor of Hurst, Texas, was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry. He was killed in Kunar province.

The 3rd Brigade, which has about 3,500 soldiers, operates in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces. The unit deployed in March and April to Afghanistan. The Schofield Barracks unit is halfway through its 12-month deployment.

Taylor is at least the 14th Schofield soldier killed in combat on the yearlong deployment to eastern Afghanistan. Another soldier’s death was being investigated as a possible suicide.

Taylor was married with two children, son Rylan Wade and daughter Avery Laine.

His mother, Renee Cremean, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that her son knew he wanted to serve since he was very young.

"When other kids played soldier, they said, ‘I’m going to get my gun.’ He said ‘I’m going to get my weapon.’" Cremean told the Texas newspaper. "He loved serving his country.

"He was very protective of the soldiers under him. He made sure they were squared away and knew their jobs to keep them safe."

He deployed twice with the 4th Division’s 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, Alpha Company, 2-8 Infantry Regiment before joining the 25th Infantry Division on March 1, 2010.

Taylor’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Achievement Medal (3 Oak Leaf Clusters), Meritorious Unit Citation, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal with 3 Bronze Stars, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon with numeral 3, NATO Medal and Combat Infantryman Badge.