MAJ Darren R. Baldwin, U.S. Army
February 8, 1975 – December 23, 2021
Darren grew up in Worthington, Ohio, and graduated from Worthington Kilbourne High School in 1993, where he played lacrosse. He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, earning a degree in systems engineering in 1998 while continuing his lacrosse career.
He was commissioned as a field artillery officer and stationed in Giessen, Germany, before deploying to Kosovo with Task Force Falcon. In 2003, he completed the Special Forces Officer Qualification Course at Fort Bragg and was awarded the Green Beret. He deployed to Iraq three times with Operational Detachment Alpha 061, 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne). During his second deployment in 2005, Darren sustained traumatic brain injuries from two IED explosions. Despite these injuries, he returned to Iraq for a third deployment. He later served as aide-de-camp to the Special Forces commanding general at Fort Bragg and as commander of Detachment East, Alpha Company, Special Activities Training Battalion. He was medically retired in 2013 due to the progression of his injuries.
On December 23, 2021, Darren passed away peacefully at home after more than sixteen years of living with the effects of traumatic brain injury. He is remembered for his adventurous spirit and his love of the outdoors and travel. He thrived on connecting with people and brought energy and joy to every room—often through karaoke or dance—which earned him the nicknames “Hollywood” and “Elvis.”
His legacy lives on through his wife, Bianca; his extended family, friends, and comrades; and the Major Darren Baldwin Legacy Foundation.
