A memorial service is scheduled Thursday at Caserma Ederle for a Vicenza, Italy-based soldier killed Saturday in Afghanistan by a makeshift bomb.
Pfc. Steven C. Tucker, a 19-year-old from Grapevine, Texas, died from wounds suffered in the explosion near Shinkay, officials said. Three other soldiers were wounded in the attack.
A memorial service was held Wednesday at Forward Operating Base Sweeney in Afghanistan. The Italy memorial is scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday at the base chapel.
Tucker and the other three soldiers had been on a security patrol in a Humvee when the device detonated. Tucker was taken by helicopter to Kandahar Airfield, where he died of his wounds. Spc. Andrew Soule was severely injured by the blast and was transported to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, officials said. He was later transferred to Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
The identities of the other two wounded soldiers — who were treated and returned to their unit — have not been released. Tucker’s identity was not released until late Tuesday.
Army Brig. Gen. James Champion, deputy commander for Combined/Joint Task Force-76, said military investigators are working closely with their Afghan counterparts to find those responsible.
“We want to send a clear message to the insurgents that you cannot commit acts of terror and brutality — we will find you and we will bring you to justice,” he said in a news release.
Tucker was a member of the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment. He’s the fifth soldier from the Southern European Task Force (Airborne) to die in Afghanistan since the Vicenza-based organization took control of operations in the country March 15.
Four others were among the 18 Americans killed April 6 when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed. Three of those soldiers came from the 173rd Airborne Brigade’s other infantry battalion, the 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment. Another was assigned to SETAF headquarters.