Pentagon identifies soldier killed in IED blast near Mosul, Iraq

A first lieutenant with the 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team has been identified as the soldier killed Saturday in Mosul, Iraq.

First Lt. Weston Lee, 25, died from wounds he sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated during a patrol outside Mosul, according to information from the Army. The incident is under investigation, officials said.

Lee, of Bluffton, Georgia, was an infantry officer assigned to 1st Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment, 2nd BCT, 82nd Airborne Division, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Lee was "an extraordinary young man and officer. He was exactly the type of leader that our paratroopers deserve," said Col. Pat Work, the commander of 2nd BCT, in a statement. "Our sincere condolences and prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time."

Lee joined the Army in March 2015, and after Infantry Basic Officer Leaders Course, he was assigned to 2nd BCT as a platoon leader. He deployed to Iraq in December 2016; it was his first deployment.

His was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart and Meritorious Service Medal, the Army said.