The body of Spc. Christopher Talbert, 24, an Illinois National Guard soldier from East Galesburg, Ill., killed in action July 7 in Afghanistan, will arrive Tuesday afternoon at the Quad-City International Airport, Moline.

The plane carrying his body is scheduled to arrive at 4:44 p.m. Tuesday. A short military ceremony will be conducted at the airport before a procession forms to take it to Colonial Baptist Church in Galesburg, Ill., where another ceremony will be held.

Talbert was serving as a medic in Afghanistan with the 130th Infantry Battalion, 33rd Brigade Combat Team out of Marion, Ill. He planned to become a full paramedic upon his return, scheduled for September, and had enrolled in two emergency medical services courses at Black Hawk College in Moline for the fall semester. He was employed as a phlebotomist at Galesburg Cottage Hospital.

Ashley Lamb of Knoxville, a friend who had talked to Talbert the day before his death, said he enjoyed the work he was doing and was happy with his life in the military.

"He loved Afghanistan," Lamb said. "He was stoked and was ready to re-enlist to deploy with his home unit from Milan, Ill., to Egypt next year."

Talbert joined in the Illinois Army National Guard in 2007 as a combat medic and belonged to the 123rd Field Artillery in Milan. He volunteered outside his home unit for his deployment to Afghanistan.

He was serving with Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Battalion, part of the 33rd Brigade Combat Team out of Marion, Ill., at the time of the attack.

He was killed when a vehicle in which he was riding struck an improvised explosive device.

Today's procession will include police and Patriot Guard riders, a spokesman from Hinchliff-Pearson-West funeral home in Galesburg said. The route is U.S. 150 to U.S. 34, exiting onto Interstate 74 to the Lewiston/Knoxville exit, then north through East Galesburg to Fremont Street to Colonial Baptist Church, 1232 W. Fremont St.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Friday at Bethel Baptist Church, 1196 North Academy St., Galesburg. Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. Thursday at Bethel, with a Masonic service at 3 p.m. Burial will be in Knoxville Cemetery, with military rites by the Illinois National Guard Funeral Honor Team.

Memorials may be made to Galesburg Christian School or Colonial Baptist Church.