A warrior-hero was laid to rest on Saturday, after laying down his life for his countrymen.

Army Specialist Kimble Han, 30, was killed Oct. 23 in Afghanistan when his vehicle was hit with an improvised explosive device. At funeral services in Saratoga Springs on Saturday, his family remembered him as a man who loved sports, clothes and shoes, and joined the Army after a friend was killed in Iraq.

At a special ceremony on Friday evening, Han was posthumously promoted from Private First Class to Army Specialist. His family was presented with awards earned in his service of his country. Han leaves behind a wife, Melissa, and stepsons Brenden, 12, Austin, 9, and Caleb, 5.

Kimble loved sports and knew everything about them, said his brother-in-law, Jeremy Lyons.

"I loved to play sports with Kimble, when I was on his team and when he was winning," Lyons said. "When Kimble was losing, that was another story."

Kimble loved being a soldier, protecting and serving his country, said Lyons, calling him a "valiant and mighty warrior," in what became a theme of the funeral service.

"He fought for the freedom and rights of all of us, and he is a hero for that," Lyons said. "Kimble is still enlisted in the army. He's now serving in God's army. He has not been taken from us, but redeployed."

Kimble's brother, Jerod Han, wept as he read from John 15, quoting the New Testament passage that says no man hath greater love than to give up his life for his friends.

"My brother was my hero," Jerod Han said. "So many times I've looked up to him and wished I could have the courage he had. ... He was a hero on this earth, and he will be a hero in the life to come."

Brigadier General Kurt Story read memorials from Kimble's fellow soldiers overseas, calling him "a true warrior that personified the warrior ethos and lived the soldier's creed."

Kimble's duty to his country was more important than life itself, working to "thwart a persistent enemy. You have performed your duty with distinction and honor," Story said. "May he rest in peace."