Fernandez's sister-in-law, Kristi Florita-Gouveia, said the family was told that five soldiers were in the Humvee on a routine patrol when it hit a mine.

The attack happened Thursday in Uruzgan province, northwest of Deh Rawood, where a U.S. military base is located. Maj. Mark McCann, a U.S. military spokesman in Kabul, said in a brief statement that an improvised explosive device — a homemade bomb — was to blame.

He said that a remote-controlled mine detonated under an American Humvee on patrol in the Kishi area of the province's Charcheno district on Thursday afternoon.

In response, a U.S. helicopter opened fire on the suspected attacker as he fled on a motorbike, killing him, the governor said.

McCann did not comment on the reported firing by the helicopter.

The news struck a grievous blow to the families of Fernandez and Hobbs, both married with children.

Fernandez and his wife, Celeste, met each other while enrolled at Pearl City High School, although Fernandez went on to graduate from 'Aiea High School, said Kristi Florita-Gouveia, Celeste's sister.

The Fernandez family now includes 4-year-old daughter Kyla and 13-month-old son Keahi, Florita-Gouveia said. She added that her brother-in-law had only a few months with his youngest before deploying in March.

"He and Kyla were real close," she said. "He was supposed to come down in December for two weeks, and he had every day planned for what they would do.

"He wanted to take them to Disneyland; he was going to start going to church."

Hobbs had served in the U.S. Army for 13 years.

"He was one of the lucky ones, devoted to his job as well as his faith," said his aunt, Shirley Hobbs, in Arizona.

Hobbs married his high school sweetheart, Jennifer, soon after basic training. They later had a girl, followed by two boys. He last saw them, now ages 11, 9 and 3, just two weeks ago, while on leave from Afghanistan, said his uncle, Steven Hobbs.

"He was a loving father, a devoted husband," Steven Hobbs said.

Survivors also include his father, Larry, and mother, Linda.

Both soldiers were part of the 25th Infantry Division (Light); their comrades in the division will remember them Tuesday in a private prayer service at Schofield. Funeral services are pending for both families; the Fernandez arrangements are being handled by Borthwick.

Hobbs, an infantryman who entered the Army in September 1994, was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment.

Fernandez was an infantryman who enlisted in March 2001. He was assigned to Company C, 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment.

His survivors also include parents Renald and Noe Fernandez and brother Koa. His sister, Kehau Fernandez, is a producer and reporter at KITV.

His sister-in-law said he loved bodyboarding and all the simple pleasures of life in Hawai'i.

"Yesterday in the mail, my sister received a letter from him. His mother, too," she said. "He was real upbeat.

"The part I wouldn't forget is he said he taught the haoles up there how to eat saimin in the desert," she said with a laugh. "He told them to put the saimin and water in a Zip-Loc bag and leave it in the sun for an hour. Now, everybody could eat saimin."

That may have been a memorable contribution to the Army, but the ultimate sacrifice came in a moment's tragedy on Thursday.

"They gave him a Bronze (Star) and a Purple Heart," Florita-Gouveia said softly.

Information from the Associated Press and the Arizona Republic was used in this report.