A United States Marine from northwest suburban Crystal Lake was killed this week while serving in Afghanistan, the Pentagon reported Tuesday.
Staff Sgt. Christopher J. Antonik, 29, was killed Sunday while in combat in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
He was assigned to the 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion of the Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command at Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Antonik, a reconnaissance specialist, had served two tours in Iraq.
His decorations included a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, three Marine Corps Good Conduct Medals, a Combat Action Ribbon, four Sea Service Deployment Ribbons, an Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, two Iraq Campaign Medals, the National Defense Service Medal and two Navy Unit Commendations, the Northwest Herald reported.
Antonik is survived by his wife, Erin Antonik, also from Crystal Lake, whom he'd just married seven months ago. The couple was living in San Clemente, Calif., where Antonik was stationed prior to being deployed to Afghanistan.
He was the second member of the Armed Forces from Illinois to die in Afghanistan in the past week.
U.S. Army Spc. Joseph Whiting Dimock II, of Wildwood, died Saturday during an explosion at an ammunition holding facility.
