The family of a Schofield Barracks soldier from Wahiawa yesterday said Army Sgt. Alexander Gagalac has been killed in Iraq.

Family members told KHON-TV that Gagalac, 28, was killed Sunday while on patrol when a rocket-propelled grenade hit his Humvee.

Gagalac and his twin brother, Alexis, joined the Army together.

The family said Alexander Gagalac re-enlisted this past July and was expected home in a couple of weeks.

His mother, Regina Gagalac, said she spoke with her son on Saturday, her birthday. She said she told him to be very careful.

Gagalac's page on the MySpace Web site said he graduated in 1997 from Leilehua High School, where he was on the varsity wrestling team.

He attended Leeward Community College from 1997 to 2000, where he majored in automotive studies. Gagalac was 5 feet 8 and was not married, according to his MySpace blog.

The day before he was killed, Gagalac posted this message on his blog:

"This is very rare that write a blog. For the past 13 months I have been living in a place that time forgot "Iraq." Now it is finally coming to an end with a few weeks to go. I can't wait to be back home with family and friends. This has been a long time coming and it gonna feel a lot longer as it comes to those last hours that I'm here. The taste of freedom is going to be sweet. To let you in on a secret, the expected date for my arrival is the 24th of September. I'll keep my fingers cross. I hope to see you all when I get back."

Gagalac's death comes 18 days after the loss of 10 Schofield Barracks soldiers in a helicopter crash Aug. 22 in northern Iraq. The Black Hawk's four crew members also were killed. Family members of some of the soldiers were told the helicopter's tail rotor malfunctioned, causing the crash.

It was the largest number of Schofield Barracks soldiers killed in one incident since the Vietnam War.