A Vidalia, La., native praised her husband as &uot;committed to Operation Iraqi Freedom and his country&uot; after he was killed last week in Iraq.

Staff Sgt. Nicholas J. Olivier, husband of the former Angelle Fairbanks, will be laid to rest Thursday in Lafayette.

Olivier was one of 150 Louisiana guardsmen who recently decided to extend their service in Iraq.

&uot;He felt the mission was necessary to ensure our country’s freedom and continue the fight to abolish terrorism,&uot; his wife said in a statement released by the National Guard.

Olivier, 26, was with the Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion of the 256th Brigade Combat Team. He was the 15th member of the 256th to die in Iraq. He was killed Feb. 23 when a homemade bomb exploded while he was on ground patrol in Baghdad.

Olivier was a native of Carencro and a resident of Shreveport. He graduated from Destrehan High School in 1997 and graduated from Louisiana Tech in 2002. He was employed as a financial adviser for Wells Fargo.

Angelle Olivier is a graduate of Vidalia High School.

See page 2C for obituary.