I am SFC David F. Cyr Jr. and I am an active duty member of the U.S. Army.

My current assignment is the New England Recruiting Battalion. I presently have 20 years of total service, with 16-½ years active duty. My initial enlistment was in April 1995. I enlisted active duty Airborne Infantry, and upon completing OSUT and Airborne School at Fort Benning, GA, I was assigned to the 82ND Airborne Division. In August 1998, I went from active duty and enlisted in the CTNG A CO 1/102 INF. In March 2002, upon returning from duty at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City I accompanied my fire team to ground zero. That afternoon we watched the last two bodies recovered from the World Trade Center. I made up my mind at that moment in time that I was reenlisting to fight. In May 2002, I once again entered active duty status and was again assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division’s 3/504 P.I.R. Before I would be assigned to recruiting in July 2006, I had completed three tours in combat; one in the “Gan” in 2003, and then two tours to Iraq.

The first tour in Iraq in January 2004, and the second was September 2005. I began recruiting in 2006, and after assignments in multiple recruiting Battalions in various positions. My capacity as a Recruiting Master Trainer trained the leaders that commanded the Battalion’s Recruiting Centers, and manage all of the Battalion’s training operations. The only other job I have known was Airborne Infantry, with additional training in Mountain Warfare, Marksmanship, and I was certified as an EMT.

My grandfather, Joseph Cyr, is pictured here and served during WWI. He passed in 1967, and I unfortunately never had the opportunity to meet him. In addition to a couple cousins more recently, my uncle served in Vietnam and retired from the Army as a Master Sergeant in 1974. I have spoken with my uncle regarding his service. He told me a couple stories that truly left a lasting impression upon me. During the Vietnam War my uncle was serving in Germany, and was telling me about the animosity between the NCO Corp and lower enlisted. One night while sitting in the NCO quarters a lower enlisted Soldier threw a hand grenade into the common area. My Uncle was wounded, taking Grenade shrapnel to his elbow. Then while walking through the Airport while returning home from Vietnam, my uncle was approached by a guy who spit in his face and called him a “baby killer”. My uncle grabbed the guy by his throat and began to violently choke him. If my uncle’s battle buddy had not been there to pull him off, he probably would’ve killed him.

As far back as I can remember I was drawn to being a soldier and wanted to be a paratrooper, but after high school I just wouldn’t commit. But before my 20th birthday I lost a very good friend in a car accident, and her death made me realize that I was wasting my life working multiple dead end jobs in restaurants, and that it was time to start living my dream. As a kid I remember my friends would call me by the nickname G.I. Davey. The worst part of war for me was the tragic realization that war is not what we want to think it is. It is not heroic. It is not glamorous. It is rough, in your face. You have some of the best times of your life, but then you face the facts that you have friends; brothers, that aren’t coming home the same way they left or not at all.

Although I am the same person, my experiences have also changed my outlook on life, especially my outlook on social-political issues. I grew up in a low-income family in CT, and it sucked because we struggled but at the same time I had friends that were very well off. However, when you go somewhere like Afghanistan, see the accepted behaviors, and how the average person lives, it truly changes your perspective. Even from a poor background like myself I lived like a king compared to every Afghani person I encounter while serving there. Iraq wasn’t much better either. At one point, I realized I had sworn on my life to protect this beautiful document, the Constitution of the United States, but truly didn’t know much about. I grew with very liberal surroundings, but as I began to study economics and the Constitution and weigh what I was learning in my personal/professional experiences began to rapidly change to that of a Constitutionalist.

What was my greatest fear? There is not a simple straightforward answer for me. I suppose as our departure date for Afghanistan approached, much like everyone else, I was scared to die. However, once you are boots on the ground and begin operations, you are not so much scared to die. Of course I was scared to be maimed and not returning to a normal life, but I all too soon realized my greatest fear. My greatest fear was losing one of my Soldiers. On April 25, 2003, while in a Reverse-slope near-ambush, my Soldier, and Brother PFC Jerod R. Dennis gave his life saving the lives of three others. It was bittersweet, to know I had the honor to serve with such a selfless person, but heartbreaking to know that this 19 year old kid has nothing left.

My father never made to see me home on any of my tours, but my mother and sisters where there or did their best to be there. I remember returning home in 2004, my mother and sisters drove to Fort Bragg to meet us as we returned from combat. It wasn’t until they reached Fort Bragg that they found out that my Platoon had been extended two to three weeks, and I wasn’t on the flight. My mother was able to make a second trip and be there for me. For my return and transition back home, I thought I was good to go. But the realization, that I was riddled with guilt, and had survived my tours while too many of my brothers had not, finally kicked in. Survivor’s guilt is an ugly thing. You think you have it under control while it steadily eats away at you. I remember after Dennis was killed, and I returned home, how many times I wished I had also died in Afghanistan. It wasn’t until 2008 or 2009 that my mother, sisters and some of my closest friends confessed that by the time I returned from my third tour in combat that they were absolutely petrified of me. I had been consumed by anger and guilt, and the funny thing is I was the only one who couldn’t see it.

Today I am still serving my country, carrying the torch for the brother I have had fall in combat. I am also happily married and have a beautiful daughter. I have also tried to live my life in a selfless manner, I have become involved in Fraternities, like the Shriners and Leadership groups that are dedicated to community service and giving back. I also found that I have a natural love for public speaking and love to tell my story, bringing the issues we veterans face to citizens who would never otherwise have the opportunity to hear.
I am stationed in New Hampshire. Due to our careers, my wife,daughter and I live separately. We have been living like this for the past 3 years. With that being said, when I am on vacation with my family they get my undivided attention.

Listed below are some of the groups I belong to.
~SFC David F. Cyr, Jr., U.S. Army

www.facebook.com/david.f.cyr.3
www.audiemurphy.com/samc.htm
www.facebook.com/groups/262409520541096/
www.facebook.com/groups/108088382516/

We are honored that David has shared his service and story with Comes A Soldier’s Whisper, where we are all connected.

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