A Fort Bliss command sergeant major died Tuesday at a Texas hospital a week after his unit was attacked in Afghanistan, the Defense Department said Thursday.
Command Sgt. Maj. Martin R. Barreras, 49, of Tuscon, Arizona, died at San Antonio Military Medical Center from wounds sustained when enemy forces opened fire on his unit May 6 in Harat Province, Afghanistan.
Barreras was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.
"Command Sgt. Maj. Barreras was my friend and battle buddy," Lt. Col. Edward Brady said. "I've spent more time with him than my wife since I've taken command. I believe that I was the luckiest battalion commander in the Army to have him as my (command sergeant major)."
Barreras first enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1983. Five years later, he enlisted in the Army as an infantryman and attended airborne school and the 75th Ranger Regiment
Regimental Indoctrination Program at Fort Benning, Georgia.
He was assigned to the Ranger Regiment in December 1988, where he served for the next 22 years, Fort Bliss officials said.
Barreras completed several combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. After the Ranger Regiment, he served as senior enlisted adviser of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit for three years from August 2009 to 2012.
In March 2013, Barreras was assigned as the senior enlisted adviser for the 2nd
Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, and deployed to Afghanistan in December 2013.
Barreras' awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star with valor device, Bronze Star Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Purple Heart with one oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters and Joint Service Achievement Medal.
"While every soldier in this formation is extremely saddened by his loss, his Bobcats are doing exactly what he would expect of us: continuing on with the mission and taking the fight to the enemy," Brady said. "This man would do absolutely anything and everything to ensure his soldiers came home safely."
Barreras is survived by a wife, two daughters and a son.
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