February 20, 2007 -- Sgt. First Class Russell Borea had become so comfortable with the photographer following his 2nd Battalion's mission in Iraq, they were on a first-name basis.

MOD-3 Productions has a crew embedded with these soldiers for a History Channel documentary.

The footage the production company provided KFOX shows the soldiers preparing for combat missions and interacting with each other.

Watching the 38-year-old soldier going about his business in one of the world's most dangerous places, you sense a man who's maintained his sense of humor and composure despite the daily dangers he faces.

Borea was even keeping his good nature when the hot coffee he poured was luke warm.

"You need to stay motivated, stay dedicated to the cause. Continue to stay vigilant. Continue to be aware of the situation. Continue to ask questions,"

Despite his vigilance, Sgt. Borea died of injuries he suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated during one of his combat missions on January 19th.

He left behind a wife and 10-year-old daughter.

The production crew was also with Staff Sgt. John Cooper while he trained for the mission at Fort Irwin, Calif.

After joining the Army in 1995, Cooper was on his second deployment to Iraq since the war began. He'd also fought in Afghanistan.

His mother told a newspaper that being a soldier had been Cooper's dream since childhood, a sentiment he echoed in an interview with the documentary crew.

"When I was a little kid, as crazy as it sounds, I would see the movies about the Army guys. You know, stuff like 'Platoon,' things of that nature and it caught my eye and caught my interest. Next thing you know, I joined the Army and here I am 11 years later," Cooper had said.

Cooper was killed in the same IED attack in January that claimed Borea's life.

Three other Fort Bliss soldiers died in that attack: 23-year-old 2nd Lt. Mark Daily, 22-year-old Sgt. Ian Anderson, and 21-year-old Spc. Matthew Grimm.

The other members of the 4th Brigade, First Cavalry Division who have died during this Iraq deployment are 24-year-old Spc. Nicholas Brown, 29-year-old Sgt. Brent Dunkleberger and 23-year-old Sgt. Robert Thrasher.