James Skalberg (Defense Dept. photo)

Governor Branstad has ordered flags be flown at half-staff in honor of an Iowa soldier killed in Afghanistan.

The funeral for 25-year-old Army Sergeant James Skalberg Jr. will be held Saturday morning in Red Oak.

He was one of two soldiers killed on June 27 when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle.

Skalberg, a native of Emerson, graduated from Nishna Valley High School in 2005 and later attended Peru State College in Peru, Nebraska before enlisting in the Army in 2007.

Skalberg’s wife, Jessica, and son, Carter, live in Red Oak. The governor has ordered flags be flown at half-staff from 5 p.m. today through 8 a.m. Monday.