A Marine from New Jersey has died in combat in Afghanistan two weeks before he was due to come home.

The Defense Department says Staff Sgt. Joseph D'Augustine was killed in the Helmand province.

The 29-year-old Waldwick native was assigned to an explosive ordnance disposal unit from the 8th Engineer Support Battalion of the 2nd Marine Logistics Group, part of the Second Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Details are still emerging about how D'Augustine died. The military says he was killed Tuesday while conducting combat operations.

D'Augustine graduated from Waldwick High School in 2001. News 12 New Jersey spoke with a former coach and a teacher of D'Augustine's. His former history teacher Jonathan Noschese describes D'Augustine as inspirational and his coach, James Drechsel, says it was no surprise when D'Augustine decided to join the military right after high school.

D'Augustine was reportedly due to come home in just 15 days to attend the May wedding of his sister.