Pendleton Marine killed in base training accident identified

SAN DIEGO - Military officials publicly identified a U.S. Marine who was fatally injured in a weekend training accident at Camp Pendleton.

Staff Sgt. Joshua Braica, 29, was behind the wheel of a MRZR tactical vehicle that overturned Saturday at the military station north of Oceanside, according to Maj. Nicholas Mannweiler of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command. Two other Marines suffered minor injuries in the crash.

Braica, a critical-skills operator with 1st Marine Raider Battalion, was airlifted to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, where he succumbed to his injuries Sunday evening.

The Sacramento native enlisted in the Marine Corps in July 2010 and served as an intelligence specialist with 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, and with Marine Aircraft Group 36.

Braica deployed to the Pacific Command area of operations with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit in 2011, and to the Indo-Pacific Command region with 1st Marine Raider Battalion in 2017.

His military decorations include a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, two Good Conduct Medals, a National Defense Service Medal, a Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and three Sea Service Deployment Ribbons.

He is survived by his wife and son.