A Camp Pendleton-based Marine was killed in action Tuesday in Helmand province.
Staff Sergeant Justin Schmalstieg, 28, of Pittsburgh, Pa., was assigned to the 1st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.
A report in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette described Schmalstieg as the son of two Pittsburgh police detectives who joined the military because of a "sense of duty" instilled in him by his parents.
"He was always quiet, collected, smart, kind, willing to be there or listen. He was a good friend," childhood friend Frantz Pamphile told the paper.
