Sgt. Bryan Cyr, son of Roger and Louisanne Cyr, received the Silver Star Medal for gallantry in combat on June 12 at the Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska.
Maj. Gen. Tom Drew presented the award.
Cyr’s act of valor/heroism occurred Nov. 6, 2009, during his first deployment to Afghanistan as a specialist in the United States Army. He was selected along with eight other soldiers to assist in resupplying an infantry unit that was under direct fire from sniper and machine gun.
During their mission, the group took ambush fire and immediately hit the ground. About 150 to 200 yards left of their position, they found a ditch and moved in that direction. One lieutenant had been hit in his side protective plate, but there were no injuries.
They reached the infantry unit. Upon his arrival, the infantry sergeant noticed that Cyr had an M14 and requested he follow him. The sergeant and a lieutenant told Cyr there was a sniper and machine gun which prevented this infantry unit from movement and completing their mission.
Cyr joined two other soldiers. The three-man group advanced on the sniper and took heavy fire.
“Sniper fire got diverted to us. As I was running, sniper fire was hitting where I lifted my foot from the ground. I jumped and took cover,” Cyr said. “Ballistic from either the sniper or machine gunners ricocheted and shattered my glasses.”
Cyr moved to a ground-supported position and returned fire. As the dust settled, he located the sniper. He relayed the information to the infantry sergeant, who ordered a grenadier to fire a round at that position. The sniper took off running. Cyr took a shot from 450 meters, which felled the sniper. The group identified a machine gunner running in an attempt to flank them. Cyr positioned himself and eliminated the threat in two shots.
The three-man group took fire from other machine gun nests. Cyr was able to suppress them from his firing position. The group calculated the distance of the building the enemy was shooting from, and the infantry sergeant radioed in for fire support. The group was told to get on the ground and cover their heads. The predator drone counted down and dropped a missile on the compound.
“The shock wave moved me. It felt like I got shoved by a truck,” Cyr said.
Cyr rejoined his unit. However, upon arriving at his team’s location, he spotted two enemy personnel observing them from a long distance, estimated at 3200 meters away. Cyr fired a shot and hit close to them, causing them to flee.
Cyr and his unit returned to their combat outpost. The infantry unit were shocked to find out that Cyr was a mechanic. They thought he was a sniper based upon his movement, shooting ability, and ability to communicate the needed information.
Cyr received a coin from four-star Gen. Stanley McChrystal for a job well done. He was credited with saving four other soldiers’ lives, and eliminating the enemy sniper and machine gunner.
“You are the main reason a lot of good men plus myself were not killed that day and I will forever be in your debt,” said 1st Sgt. Walker, retired.
“I’m thankful my husband has done this great feat and is now home safe. He has saved many lives,” said Cyr’s wife, Diana, while his children called their father a hero and said they love him.
Cyr’s family flew in from Texas to support and celebrate his accomplishment, sharing their pride, relief he is home safe and thanking him for his service.
Roger Cyr, Sgt. Cyr’s older brother, said many people look up to their older siblings, but he looks up to his younger brother.
“Bryan exemplifies the Army core values. He has performed his duties and served selflessly, with honor, integrity, respect, loyalty and personal courage, and has demonstrated this as a leader, said Anne Cyr-Ashworth, his eldest sister. “His accomplishments are significant, and he has brought honor to his family, his unit, and his community.”
Cyr graduated from Madawaska High School in 2002, and immediately joined the U.S. Army, where he served from July 2002 to September 2014. He completed basic training at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, and helicopter repair training at Ft, Eustis, Virginia. His duty stations include Fliegerhorst, Germany; Ft. Hood, Texas; Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina; Ft. Eustis, Virginia; and Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska.
During his military career, Cyr went through Special Force Selection, Airborne school, primary leadership development course, basic non-commissioned officer course and combatives small units tactics, and also reclassed his job to 91B, wheeled vehicle mechanic.
He was deployed four times, two each in Iraq and Afghanistan.
