Casey Alexander was serving as a sniper in Iraq when a Christmas Eve explosion in 2007 changed the course of his life. Now, 20 years later, he is still fighting for recognition of the injuries he says that blast caused, and his wife says the battle has never really ended for their family.
“Like when people say, what do you want to do with your life, I can honestly say I already did it. Like I’ve accomplished it. For the longest time, that’s all I wanted to do is be a sniper in the United States Army,” Alexander said.
Today, Alexander’s days are filled with coaching, teaching and raising a family with his wife, Melissa. The Tucson natives, who met in elementary school and reconnected in college, married just before his first deployment.
But on Christmas Eve 2007, Alexander was deployed with his Army unit in Iraq when a routine mission turned into a fight to survive.
“All I remember is seeing fire,” Alexander said.
The blast was powerful enough that Alexander says he remembers very little beyond the flames. As for who survived the explosion…