United States Department of Defense

     The Department of Defense announced today the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.  The three Combined Joint Task Force Seven soldiers were killed in an improvised explosive device attack on Jan. 27 near Iskandariyah.  Killed were:

 

     2^nd Lt. Luke S. James, 24, of Oklahoma.

 

     Staff Sgt. Lester O. Kinney II, 27, of Zanesville, Ohio.

 

     Kinney and Luke were assigned to 2^nd Battalion, 505^th Infantry, Fort Bragg, N.C.

 

     Sgt. Cory R. Mracek, 26, of Hay Springs, Neb.  Mracek was assigned to 3^rd Battalion, 319^th Field Artillery, Fort Bragg, N.C.

 

     The incident is under investigation.