Capt. Bruce E. Hays, 42, died of wounds suffered Sept. 17 in Gerdia Seria, Afghanistan, when the vehicle he was traveling in struck an improvised explosive device.

Hays was a field artillery officer serving on a Military Transition Team assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. His home of record is Cheyenne, Wyo. He entered the Army in March 1991.

Hays began serving with the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley in June 2008. This was his first deployment in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

Transition team training is a 60-day training cycle at Fort Riley to prepare small teams of American Soldiers, Airmen and Sailors to advise, teach, mentor and coach their Iraqi or Afghan counterparts.

To date, 156 Fort Riley servicemembers have died while serving in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.