United States Department of Defense

            The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

            Spc. Christopher J. Rivera Wesley, 26, of Portland, Ore., died Dec. 8 in Ad Duluiyah, Iraq. Wesley was in a Stryker vehicle when it flipped into a canal.  He died as a result of his injuries. Wesley was assigned to the 1^st Battalion, 23^rd Infantry Regiment, 3^rd Brigade Combat Team, 2^nd Infantry Division, based in Fort Lewis, Wash.

            The incident is under investigation.