Pfc. Richard L. McNulty III died Sunday when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device in Bowri Tana, Afghanistan.

The defense department says 25-year-old Sgt. Brian L. Walker of Lucerne Valley, Calif., also died in the explosion.

McNulty was a 2008 graduate of Rolla High School, where he was a soccer star.

The Rolla Daily News reports that McNulty was scheduled to come home in three weeks. His wife is due to give birth in June.

McNulty and Walker were assigned to the 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.