Marine Sgt. Jesse M. Balthaser

Died September 4, 2010 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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23, of Columbus, Ohio; assigned to the 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif.; died Sept. 4 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations.

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Deployed twice to Iraq before current war-zone tour

The (Palm Springs, Calif.) Desert Sun

A 23-year-old combat engineer from Columbus, Ohio, has been killed while deployed to Afghanistan's Helmand Province as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, officials announced Sept. 9.

Marine Sgt. Jesse M. Balthaser, assigned to the 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, was stationed at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, officials said.

He was killed Sept. 4 by an improvised explosive device during a combat engagement with enemy forces, officials said.

Balthaser, who enlisted in the Marines on Aug. 29, 2005, was on his third deployment at the time of his death.

He'd been deployed twice to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, first in 2006 then again in 2008.

His personal service awards include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and the NATO medal.