The Army officer's father was stationed at Fort Sill.

An Army officer who was listed as an Oklahoman was among three soldiers who were killed Monday in Iraq, the Defense Department said Thursday.

The department said Capt. Torre R. Mallard, 27, was from Oklahoma but did not give a hometown. He, along with Spc. Donald A. Burkett, 24, of Comanche, Texas; and Sgt. Phillip R. Anderson, 28, of Everett, Wash., died after their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in Balad Ruz, Iraq.

They were assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment from Fort Hood, Texas, the department said.

Mallard lived in Lawton when his father, Mose Mallard III, was stationed at Fort Sill. The Mallards last maintained an Oklahoma address about five years ago.

Mallard's grandfather, Mose Mallard Jr., described Torre as the "finest young man in the world."

"It broke my heart when I heard it," the Anniston, Ala., resident told The Oklahoman. "He played football and baseball, and he was just an outstanding student. (He) always got good grades. I was proud of him."

Mose Mallard Jr. couldn't explain why the Department of Defense listed Torre Mallard's home state as Oklahoma. Mose Mallard III had a Lawton address briefly in 1986.

He graduated in May 1998 from Selmen High School in Slidell, La., and entered the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., that sum mer, according

He graduated from West Point on June 1, 2002, with a bachelor's degree in computer science, the newspaper reported.

During the spring semester of his sophomore year at the academy he served a four-month term as a company commander, one of the highest positions in the Cadet Chain of Command at the academy, the Star reported.

Mallard played sprint football for the Army and completed airborne training at Fort Bragg, N.C.

From staff and wire reports