The body of fallen U.S. Navy Hospitalman and Niles native Benjamin Rast arrived at the South Bend Airport Regional Airport Wednesday morning.

Rast, 23, died April 6 while conducting a dismounted patrol in the Helmand province of Afghanistan.

He was assigned as a hospitalman to the 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment 2nd Marine Division. Rast was stationed at the Naval Medical Center, Expeditionary Medical Force Detachment in San Diego, Calif. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Pistol Marksmanship Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

Visitation will take place 4 to 8 p.m. friday at the Brandywine High School gym. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the same location. Gov. Rick Snyder will be in attendance.

Snyder has also ordered United States flags lowered to half-staff in honor of Rast on Friday.

“My sincerest condolences are with Benjamin’s family. He was a brave young man who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation’s freedom and for the state of Michigan,” said Synder.

NBC and Rast’s father have reported that Rast was killed by a drone airstrike by friendly-fire; however, the International Security Assistance Force, a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan, stated that the incident is “currently under investigation and until the investigation concludes we cannot release any further information.”

Rast, a 2006 Brandywine graduate, and Staff Sgt. Jeremy Smith, 26, a Marine from Arlington, Texas, were part of a Marine unit moving in to reinforce other Marines under heavy fire from enemy forces in the Helmand province.