The Sunnyside Unified School District Governing Board voted unanimously to approve the name change of a south side Tucson park to honor Command Sgt. Maj. Martin R. Barreras.
Command Sgt. Maj. Martin R. Barreras died earlier this month after being wounded in an attack in Afghanistan.
CSM Martin R. Barreras “Gunny” Park is located near South Campbell Avenue and East Drexel Road, inside the Sunnyside Unified School District boundaries.
Command Sgt. Barreras, who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, graduated from Sunnyside High School.
He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas. SGM Barreras entered the Army in 1988 after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps for five years. After completing Advanced Individual Training, Airborne School, and 75th Ranger Regimental Indoctrination Program at Fort Benning, Georgia, he was assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Lewis, Washington. He was assigned to the 75th Ranger Regimental Training Unit at Fort Benning, Georgia in 2000. He has served every position including squad leader, platoon sergeant, first sergeant, Regimental Reconnaissance Company sergeant major, and Joint Special Operation Task Force sergeant major. He served multiple combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and also deployed in support of Operation Just Cause in Panama and Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti.