Alvarez, a sergeant in the U.S. Army, was killed in action in the Baghdad area of Iraq, a family spokesman confirmed today. Circumstances surrounding his death have not yet been released.

He was on his second tour of duty in that war-torn country at the time of his death, the spokesman said.

Alvarez is the second member of his family to be killed in Iraq. His brother-in-law, Army Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, was kidnapped and killed by extremists in 2006.

“So they’ve lost two family members in the last two years,” said the Rev. Joel Miller, the family spokesman. “Obviously, they are in a great amount of shock right now.”

Alvarez was born and raised in Roscoe, graduating from high school there — where he was active in sports — but spent several years in Big Spring before enlisting in the Army, Miller said.

The 22-year-old was remembered as being very popular among friends and colleagues.

Alvarez is survived by his wife, Myra; his mother and step-father, Belinda and Pete Garcia; sister Christina; and several other family members.

Miller said no funeral details have been arranged, pending the return of Alvarez’s body from Iraq.

Alvarez is the third Howard County native killed while serving on active duty in the Iraq theater.

Marine Pfc. Chad Metcalf Bales, of Coahoma, was killed shortly after President George W. Bush ordered the invasion of that country in April 2003. Big Spring’s Robert J. Volker, a specialist in the Army, was killed when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device in December 2006.

Former Big Spring Police Department officer Steven Evrard, working in Iraq as a civilian security specialsit, was killed by a roadside bomb in December 2007.

Contact Staff Writer Steve Reagan at 263-7331, ext. 234 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it