Army Command Sgt. Maj. Martin R Barreras, 49, a top enlisted soldier who served 22 years as an Army Ranger, died May 13 in Texas from wounds he suffered in Afghanistan on May 6, according to the Department of Defense.
Barreras, reports the Army Times, was the senior enlisted soldier for 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, which is part of the of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss, Texas.
Battalion commander Lt. Col. Edward Brady said of Barreras:
“Command Sgt. Maj. Barreras was my friend and battle buddy. 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 served in the Marine Corps before enlisting in the Army in 1988.
Fox News has reported that Barreras was involved in the rescue of Jessica Lynch from an Iraqi hospital in 2003:
A friend and fellow Ranger said in an email to Fox News that Barreras was the leader of the Army battalion that conducted the successful rescue of Lynch from an Iraqi hospital. The friend said Barreras personally handed Lynch to another soldier to transfer her to the helicopter that evacuated her from the area.
Barreras grew up in Tucson, Ariz. He leaves behind a wife and three children, according to the El Paso Sun.
