Third Marine from Bravo Company dies from roadside bomb blast

A third Marine from Bravo Company, 1st battalion, 3rd regiment has died from injuries incurred from a roadside bomb blast while he was on a foot patrol, the Pentagon announced Thursday.

Lance Cpl. Noah M. Pier, 25, of Charlotte, N.C. was killed on Tuesday and another Marine, whose name not released, suffered severe shrapnel wounds to his face and was airlifted to a military hospital.

Pier’s death came on the same week that The Times published a story about the dangers facing Bravo Company Marines while on foot patrols in an area ridden with improvised explosive devices and where support for the Taliban is strong.

In January, Lance Cpl. Timothy Poole, 22, of Bowling Green, Ky., and Lance Cpl. Jacob Meinert, 20, of Fort Atkinson, Wis., were killed in separate incidents while on foot patrols.

Lance Cpl. Mark D. Juarez, 23, of San Antonio, also from the Hawaii-based One-Three, was killed in January when a roadside bomb exploded beneath his vehicle.

Marines continue to patrol on foot in Helmand Province, searching for roadside bombs and attempting to win favor with residents. “They’re essential,” said Capt. Tom Grace, the Bravo Company commander.

Despite numerous firefights with the insurgents, none of the Bravo Company Marines has been wounded. But Marines report that bombs and IEDs are getting more powerful and difficult to detect.

Since the U.S.-Afghan offensive to oust the Taliban from Marja, Taliban fighters have been planting bombs, sometimes just minutes after a road has been inspected and declared bomb-free.

Tony.Perry@latimes.com