Marine sergeant from Reno killed in Afghanistan

A 23-year-old Marine from Reno was killed Monday in Afghanistan, Department of Defense officials said.

Sgt. Frank R. Zaehringer III was killed while conducting combat operations in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, according to a Pentagon news release.

He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division in Camp Lejeune, N.C.

A duty officer for the 2nd Marine Division declined to comment when reached late Tuesday.

A Reno television station, KOLO-TV Channel 8, reported that Zaehringer was killed when he stepped on an improvised explosive device while on patrol.

He graduated from Wooster High School and joined the Marines in 2007.

His mother, Sharon Zaehringer, released a statement, saying he joined the Marines “to help those who could not help themselves,” according to KOLO-TV.

Sgt. Zaehringer was the 72nd U.S. military personnel with ties to Nevada to die in the nation’s wars overseas since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. He was the sixth armed forces member with ties to Nevada to die in combat in Afghanistan this year.