The 82nd Airborne division officer, 25, who was killed by an IED while fighting ISIS in Mosul
- Weston C. Lee, 25, was the 1st lieutenant with the 82nd Airborne Division
- He died Saturday after an improvised explosive device detonated during patrol
- Lee had been conducting security as part of advise-and-assist support
- Posthumously, he received the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and the Meritorious Service Medal
The American soldier who was killed when he stepped on an IED while fighting ISIS in Iraq has been identified
Weston C. Lee, the 1st lieutenant with the 82nd Airborne Division, died while out on patrol near Mosul on Saturday.
Lee, 25, was conducting security as part of advise-and-assist support to partnered forces in the ongoing battle with the jihadists.
The Bluffton, Georgia native was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
He joined the Army in March 2015 and was deployed to Iraq, for the first time, in December 2016.
‘First Lieutenant Wes Lee was an extraordinary young man and officer,’ Colonel Pat Work, commander of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, told CBS North Carolina.
‘He was exactly the type of leader that our Paratroopers deserve.
‘Our sincere condolences and prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time.’
The armed forces member has been awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Ranger Tab, the Parachutist Badge and the Army Service Ribbon.
Posthumously, he received the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and the Meritorious Service Medal.
Lee is the fifth soldier to have been killed in Iraq since the U.S. army began operations against ISIS in August 2014.
His is the first combat death in Iraq since Donald Trump became president.