State soldier killed in Afghanistan misidentified

Military officials say a central Illinois soldier killed this week in Afghanistan had married and moved to a new town during a leave before his deployment, causing them to misidentify his home town.

The Illinois Army National Guard said Wednesday that Staff Sgt. Jason Burkholder was a former Champaign resident who was on his second deployment. Officials say he had moved to the western Illinois community of Marshall shortly before his return to Afghanistan.

The 27-year-old Burkholder and 1st Lt. Jared Southworth of Oakland were killed Sunday by a bomb, along with an Afghan police official and a civilian. The incident remains under investigation.

Southworth and Burkholder were assigned to Headquarters Co., 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry in Marion.