Marine Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Bernard

Died August 14, 2009 serving during Operation Enduring Freedom

21, of New Portland, Maine; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay; died Aug. 14 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

2/3 Marine dies in Afghanistan

Staff report

OCEANSIDE, Calif. — Defense Department officials Aug. 17 identified a Marine killed Aug. 14 in Afghanistan as Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Bernard.

Bernard, 21, a rifleman from New Portland, Maine, died while he was supporting operations in Helmand province, military officials said.

The combat deployment was the second for Bernard, who enlisted in November 2006 and joined Hawaii-based 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, in May 2007 and deployed with the battalion to Iraq in 2008, Marine Corps Base-Hawaii officials said in a news release. The battalion is operating as part of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade in Afghanistan.

Bernard had received the Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and a Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, officials said.