Locklear, a married father of two, was on his second tour of Iraq, relatives said.

"He wanted to be an infantry soldier. He was interested in being up front where all the action is," his father, retired Sgt. Maj. Velton Locklear Jr., told the El Paso Times.

Kincaid was also killed and three others were injured when the improvised explosive device detonated as the soldiers were on patrol.

Locklear and Kincaid were with the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd brigade, the Defense Department said.

The soldiers belong to Task Force Lightning in northern Iraq. Another soldier with the task force was wounded by enemy fire near Mosul on Monday and died at a U.S. military hospital, according to a military release from Baghdad.