U.S. identifies soldier killed in combat in Iraq, vows more raids

Reporting from Washington —  A day after the first death of an American soldier in combat against Islamic State extremists, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter vowed Friday to conduct additional ground raids using U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria.

“We’ll do more raids,” Carter said at a Pentagon news briefing. “It doesn’t represent us assuming a combat role. It represents a continuation of our advise-and-assist mission.”

The Army on Friday identified the soldier killed in Thursday’s raid against Islamic State militants in northern Iraq as Master Sgt. Joshua L. Wheeler.

Wheeler, a 39-year-old native of Roland, Okla., suffered a gunshot wound and later died when U.S. special operations troops and Kurdish peshmerga assaulted a compound in Hawija and freed about 70 prisoners from captivity.

“He ran to the sound of the guns, and he stood up, and all the indications are it was his actions and that of one of his teammates that protected those who were involved in breaching the compound and made the mission successful,” Carter said.

Wheeler is the first American soldier to die in combat in Iraq since the U.S. withdrew from the country in 2011. The Pentagon did not identify him by name Thursday due to its longstanding policy to first notify next of kin.

“Yesterday, the United States of America lost one of her finest warriors doing what American troops do best -- protecting those who cannot protect themselves,” Lt. Gen. Sean B. MacFarland, commander of the fight against Islamic State, said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of this brave soldier.”

Wheeler joined the Army as an infantryman and served in the 75th Ranger Regiment, deploying three times to support combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He was later assigned to the Army Special Operations Command at Ft. Bragg, N.C. and deployed 11 times to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Wheeler’s body is expected to be brought Saturday to Dover Air Force base in Delaware, where most U.S. fallen soldiers arrive. Carter said he and his wife will be there along with Wheeler’s family.

Wheeler’s death drew fresh questions about U.S. participation in the fight against Islamic State to aid partners in its ground offensive against the militants. The U.S. has maintained an advisory and backup role, delivering airstrikes, training and financial support to proxy ground forces.

But Thursday’s raid put U.S. forces into a fierce battle alongside the Kurds.

The goal was to help free captured Kurdish troops known as peshmerga, who have been key allies in the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State. The Kurds and U.S. believed there were at least 20 peshmerga inside the raided compound, Kurdish and U.S. officials said.

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No Kurds were found, but the people that were saved said they were set to be executed Thursday morning and mass graves had been dug for their burial, Carter said. At least five of the captives recovered were former Islamic State militants being held as traitors, officials said. The Pentagon confirmed that more than 20 of the captives were members of the Iraqi army.

Carter said the two-hour raid netted a cache of intelligence on Islamic State, including electronic equipment and captives who have insight into how the militants operate.

Follow @wjhenn for military and defense information.

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