Spc. Nick Taylor, 20, of Berne, and Spc. Sergio Eduardo Perez, 21, of Crowne Pointe, both members of the 713th Engineer Company, were killed in a roadside attack Monday, said Maj. Gen. Martin Umbarger.

"The soldiers of the 713th Engineer Company face a dangerous mission every single day, a danger of which they are very aware with first-hand experience of the threat and consequences," Umbarger said. "In spite of the danger, these two Sappers soldiered on, and we will now honor their courage and always remember their sacrifice."

Gov. Mitch Daniels released a statement on Tuesday concerning the soldiers’ deaths.

“Every such loss is a heartbreak. We are hit with special severity here because of the casualties this heroic unit has already endured. No guard unit in my memory has been assigned a more dangerous mission than the 713th, and here again we see the incredible risks these citizen-soldiers volunteer to run for the rest of us," Daniels said.

Taylor had served in Afghanistan for about 10 months and was scheduled to come home in September, officials said.

Family members said Taylor was well-liked and a very hard worker.

“He was very well thought of, highly respected, and he was kind of a people magnet. Whenever you saw him he had a big smile and people were just naturally attracted to him,” friend Matt Lehman said.

Taylor was a 2010 graduate of South Adams High School and his father is Berne's police chief.