A Schofield Barracks soldier was killed while on patrol in Baghdad on Tuesday, the Department of Defense announced today.

Pfc. Christopher A. McCraw, 23, of Columbia, Miss., encountered small-arms fire while patrolling on foot in Nasar Wa Salam.

He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield. McCraw joined the Army in February 2007 and was assigned to Schofield five months later.

He was the son of Avon and Cathy McCraw of Columbia, and was stationed at Camp Liberty outside Baghdad, according to the Columbian Progress newspaper.

McCraw is the 11th member of Schofield’s Stryker brigade to die in Iraq since the unit deployed there for a 12-month tour in November and December. A total of 4,000 Schofield soldiers are in Iraq including the 2,000 member Stryker brigade.