Cortez, Cesar
Male
Verified U.S. Army Private First Class Cesar Cortez, 24, of Oceanside, California, died on February 11, 2012, in Sitra, Bahrain, while serving in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Their Story
Private First Class Cesar Cortez was a 24-year-old air defense artilleryman from Oceanside, California. He served with the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 5th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, part of the 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade based at Fort Bliss, Texas.
On February 11, 2012, Cortez died of his wounds in Sitra, Bahrain. The U.S. Department of Defense stated his death resulted from a non-combat shooting incident. He was not on duty at the time of the incident, which occurred in a residential area used by U.S. personnel.
Cortez was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign that began in October 2001 following the September 11 attacks. While primarily focused on Afghanistan, the operation's geographic scope included other nations, such as Bahrain, a key U.S. Navy partner hosting the Fifth Fleet. His unit's mission involved air and missile defense for regional forces.
Following his death, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) led an investigation into the shooting. The U.S. Army did not publicly release further details on the circumstances or any potential suspects. Cortez's body was returned to the United States for burial.
Cortez was posthumously promoted to the rank of Specialist. He is memorialized on the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars Global War on Terrorism monument in his hometown of Oceanside, California.
Explore Further
Cesar Cortez was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–2014). The conflict concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.
