Pete Mullins was one of 29 Harlan County National Guard soldiers who arrived home to Kentucky in June after serving with the Middlesboro Delta Company in Iraq. He died in a motorcycle crash Tuesday on KY 38 at Coxton while he was in on a visit from Camp Shelby in Mississippi.

According to a press release from Kentucky State Police public affairs officer Walt Meachum, Mullins, 22, of Lejunior, was traveling west on KY 38 operating a 2006 Suzuki motorcycle.

"Mr. Mullins had passed a car and was attempting to negotiate a curve and lost control of the motorcycle, leaving the roadway and impacting with a rock embankment," Meachum said.

Mullins was pronounced dead at the scene by Harlan County Coroner Philip Bianchi.

According to an earlier report, nearly 15 months after the 29 soldiers volunteered to deploy with the Middlesboro unit, they arrived at Middlesboro High School to a crowd of nearly 1,000 family members and friends in June.

For several of the soldiers, their stay was short. While some of them returned to Iraq, some of them chose to serve in the United States and train other units for the challenges of the war in Iraq. Mullins was one of the soldiers who went to Camp Shelby in Mississippi to train other troops.

It was previously reported that Mullins joined the military at 18, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, who served in Korea; his uncle, who served in Vietnam; and his mother, who served in Iraq.

Mullins was a 2003 Evarts High School graduate and played on the football team for four years.

The crash is being investigated by KSP trooper Marcus Williams. He was assisted by Sgt. Anthony Taulbee and Det. Jimmy Halcomb and several officers with the Harlan County Sheriff's Department.