Army Identifies Soldiers Killed in IED Attack

Sgt. Lukeala

The Army has now identified most of the Fort Campbell soldiers killed in an IED attack a week and a half ago. The team of mortar experts was traveling together near the Afghan border with Pakistan in Konar province.

The explosion killed a total of five soldiers from the 101st Airborne’s 1st Brigade Combat Team. One has yet to be identified by the Defense Department. They were riding together in the same vehicle.

Sgt. Joshua Lukeala [loo-kee-ah-la] of Guam had previously been awarded a Purple Heart. The 23-year-old is survived by his wife and daughter who are from California.

Spc. Catlett

Spc. Matthew Catlett of Houston left behind a wife and two daughters in Texas.

Spc. Jirtle

29-year-old Spc. Charles Jirtle is survived by a wife, two daughters and a son. They’re from Lawton, Oklahoma.

Spc. Redding

And Spc. Blaine Redding, who was 22, also died in the IED attack. He and his wife are from Nebraska.

Nearly 15,000 Fort Campbell soldiers have deployed to Afghanistan this year. Another 5,000 will start their tours of duty this summer.