Lance Cpl. Joshua T. Twigg, 21, of Indiana, Pa., died of gunshot wounds in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, on Thursday, the Marine Corps said.

He graduated in 2007 from Penns Manor High School in Indiana County, where he played on the football team and was an honors student in his senior year. At 6-foot-2 and about 220 pounds, he played offensive and defensive tackle for the Comets football team.

Penns Manor High honored Cpl. Twigg at a brief ceremony Friday night at its home opener football game.

As is routine for the Marines, the Corps would not describe the circumstances of his death other than to say he died "as a result of a hostile incident while supporting combat operations."

Cpl. Twigg was a fire team leader assigned to 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 7 in Camp Lejeune, N.C. He joined the Corps in July 2007 and was promoted to lance corporal in May.

He previously served in Iraq from September 2008 to April 2009 and had deployed to Afghanistan in July.

His family issued a brief statement but otherwise asked for privacy.

"Josh was proud to serve his country as a Marine, having served previously in Iraq two years ago, and volunteering to be deployed to Afghanistan," the statement said.

His former coach, Bill Packer, said Friday that Mr. Twigg was a popular young man from a big family who enjoyed life and showed respect for his coaches.

Cpl. Twigg had been planning to join the Marines while still in school.

Funeral arrangements are not complete.

U.S. and British forces have long been mounting a counterinsurgency offensive in Helmand in an effort to root out the Taliban. Some 20,000 Marines are expected in the province by the end of the year.

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