MARIANNA, Fla. (AP) - A soldier killed in Afghanistan has been laid to rest in the Florida Panhandle.

A funeral was held Saturday in Marianna for Spc. Daquane D. Rivers. Pentagon officials say Rivers died March 14 in a non-combat-related incident in Afghanistan's Paktika province.

In a ceremony at the Marianna High School auditorium, a minister read a statement from Rivers' mother. Barbara Ann Rivers said her son was a charming and courteous leader. Other relatives told The News Herald that they remembered Rivers for his ability to always make someone laugh.

Rivers was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade, Grafenwoehr, Germany.