R.I.P. Army spc. Jeremiah Costello.

From the Chicago Tribune:

A soldier from central Illinois was killed Saturday in Iraq, according to the Department of Defense.

Army Spc. Jeremiah D. Costello, 22, of Carlinville is the first soldier with ties to Illinois to die in June.

He died after an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle, according to a Defense Department statement.

Costello was assigned to the 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, which was based out of Ft. Bliss, Texas.

Costello, who had one child, was deployed to the Middle East in the fall, according to Ft. Bliss officials.

He was a motor transport operator who enlisted July 2005. Prior to Ft. Bliss, he was stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo.

Costello’s awards and decorations include the Combat Action Badge and the Driver and Mechanic Badge, Army officials said. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart.