Nathan M. Cox was known to care about his men, knowing they were young and away from home for the first time.

“He’d run with guys on his own time that needed to lose a little weight. He’d take the time to talk to guys who had broken up with their girlfriends or something. Everybody was at their house all the time,” said his mother, Jane Cox.

Cox, 32, of Walcott, Iowa, was killed Sept. 20 when his vehicle struck an explosive in Korengal Valley. He was assigned to Fort Hood.

Cox entered the Army and served three years in Bosnia in the mid-1990s before deciding at 29 to re-enter the Army and make it his career. He served a year in Iraq before his Afghanistan deployment.

“He was very special,” said his mother. “He was an amazing young man who had so much time left.”

One reason Cox rejoined was so he could explore new places. Jane Cox said that’s why he liked describing the countries where he was stationed. “He’s very, very interested in foreign affairs,” Cox said. “He said the country was beautiful over there.”

Cox is survived by his wife, Annie, and 5-year-old daughter, Sophia.

Proceeds from the SSG Nathan M. Cox bracelet will be donated to Legacies Alive.