Captain Thomas John Casey, USA

Bronze Star w/ Valor Device

Thomas John Casey was born on April 15, 1975 to Mr. and Mrs John Casey in Albuquerque NM.  Tom graduated from Albuquerque Academy in 1993. He enlisted in the U.S. Army after attending New Mexico State University and graduating cum laude from the University of New Mexico with a dual degree in Spanish and Portuguese. Tom trained at the Defense Language Institute where he became proficient in the Korean language and served as a linguist at Fort Bragg. While there, he completed Army Airborne School and Officer Candidate School, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in January 2001. He served as a battalion tactical intelligence officer, platoon leader, and company executive officer in Fort Lewis, Washington. As company executive officer, Tom deployed to Iraq in 2002 for 10 months as part of the first mobile Stryker Brigade to deploy into combat operations, and then took assignments in Fort Hood, Texas as assistant brigade intelligence officer. In 2007 he deployed for his second tour in Iraq as part of an Army Military Transition Team, 1st Brigade. 1st Infantry Division, Captain Casey was assigned as an embedded trainer assisting the Iraqi Police and Military Forces. On January 3, 2008 his unit was operating near As Sadiyah when they came under small arms fire.