Greene County soldier killed in Iraq

DES MOINES - A soldier from Jefferson was among three service members who died after an attack in Iraq, military officials said Saturday.

The U.S. Department of Defense identified him as Capt. Matthew Nielson, 27, of the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment based at Fort Hood, Texas. He and two other soldiers in the unit died Wednesday after enemy forces attacked their unit with indirect fire in Badrah, according to the department.

Col. Greg Hapgood with the Iowa National Guard confirmed Nielson's death but couldn't immediately release more details. He said Army officials were still gathering information about the attack.

Nielson was one of seven children of Roger and Chris Nielson, who have gone to Dover, Del., to retrieve his body, the Des Moines Register reported. The family had moved from Lincoln, Neb., to Iowa.

Nielson graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, where he was in the Army ROTC. He was commissioned in May 2008 as an armor officer and had been assigned to his unit since November, Fort Hood officials said.

Military officials identified the other two soldiers killed in Wednesday's attack as Capt. David Van Camp, 29, of Wheeling, W.Va., and Robert Tenney Jr., 29, of Warner Robins, Ga.

At least four other Iowa soldiers have been killed so far this year, and several others have been wounded.