Former Indiana University track and field athlete and U.S. Navy SEAL Charles Keating IV died Tuesday while on a mission in Iraq.He was 31.The Indiana athletics department confirmed the news on its official site. The announcement included comments from Keating's former cross country coach, Robert Chapman, who talked about the mile runner's immense drive for success:"When Charlie left IU to enlist and try to become a SEAL, I don't think it really surprised any of us. You could tell he was a guy who wanted to be the best and find out what he was made of, and serving as special operations forces for his country embodied that."The Arizona native was on the Hoosiers track and field team from 2004 through 2006. That included participation with the 2004-05 squad that finished second in the Big Ten during both indoor and outdoor seasons, according to the report.Indiana's announcement also featured a statement from teammate Stephen Haas about the lasting impression left by Keating:I'm sure you are going to hear a lot about what a bad ass Navy SEAL Charlie was, and I'm sure he was the baddest. I think me and my teammates at IU will always remember him for being the most likable guy in the room with the biggest smile. Charlie was such a nice guy and everyone loved being around him. He was such a goof with no worries in the world. I don't think I ever saw him upset. He loved having a good time and his attitude was contagious. I've been in touch with most of my teammates at IU and some of Charlie's best friends. Everyone is devastated. He was really loved and will be greatly missed. I know we all feel so lucky to have spent so much time with him while in such a great time of our lives at IU.Barbara Starr, Jeremy Diamond and Emanuella Grinberg of CNN reported that Pentagon officials stated his death came as a result of a "coordinated and complex attack" by ISIS fighters in northern Iraq. "He is our family hero in every sense of the word," his cousin, Elizabeth Ann Keating, told CNN.Keating became the latest in an extended line of family members who served in the military. The CNN report noted that included namesakes great-grandfather Charles Keating (World War I) and grandfather Charles Keating Jr. (World War II).
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