Second Lt. Emily Jazmin Tatum Perez, 23, was killed Sept. 12, 2006, when her Humvee was struck by an improvised explosive device as she was leading a convoy through Al Kifl, Iraq.

She served in the 204th Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army. Perez was the first female African-American officer in U.S. military history to die in combat and the first female West Point graduate to die in the Iraq War.

She is survived by her parents, Daniel and Vicki; brother, Kevyn; and many classmates and friends.

🇺🇸 To all members of our military, past and present, and their families, thank you for your service and sacrifice. ❤️🤍💙