Soldier’s Passion for Innovation Takes Flight with Army Drone Operations

Photo By Spc. Taylor Gray | Spc. Charles Cyr, a drone operator assigned to Cross Domain Effects Company, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, supports Salaknib 2025 at Fort Magsaysay, Philippines. Cyr’s work with the Ghost drone and integration efforts at the brigade level have enhanced aerial surveillance, interoperability, and innovation during the bilateral exercise. Salaknib is a longstanding training event between the U.S. Army and Armed Forces of the Philippines, focused on strengthening combat readiness and regional security.  

PHILIPPINES

04.14.2025

Story by Spc. Taylor Gray 

U.S. Army Pacific Public Affairs Office

FORT MAGSAYSAY, Philippines – Just months into his active-duty career, Spc. Charles Cyr has become a standout member of his unit’s drone operations team, taking initiative in ways that have contributed to real-world missions, enhanced interoperability, and supported innovation at the brigade level.
Assigned to Cross Domain Effects Company, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Cyr is currently supporting Salaknib 2025—a bilateral training event between the U.S. Army and Armed Forces of the Philippines designed to strengthen combat readiness, joint interoperability, and regional security.
Cyr enlisted in early 2024 and began active service that November. With a background in technology, he quickly found his place in unmanned aerial systems—bringing both technical experience and a passion for learning to the field.
He primarily operates the Ghost drone—an autonomous, AI-powered vertical takeoff and landing system developed by Anduril Industries. The drone runs on Anduril’s Lattice operating system, which integrates sensor fusion, mission planning, and real-time AI-driven analysis, providing Soldiers with immediate battlefield awareness and decision support.
During a recent event in support of Salaknib, Cyr simultaneously flew four Ghost drones across two restricted operating zones to maintain uninterrupted aerial surveillance during a mortar live fire—his first field event as a Soldier.
Since arriving at his unit, Cyr has taken on responsibilities that far exceed expectations for someone so early in their military career. He successfully integrated Ghost feeds into the Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) network, enabling real-time intelligence sharing across units. He also collaborated with pilots from 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment—part of the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade—to deliver live drone video directly into cockpits during flight operations, significantly improving coordination during air-ground missions.
His role has extended to brigade-level operations, where he partnered with the Maverick team at 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team to stream Ghost footage directly into command post environments. The Maverick team is responsible for compiling and analyzing key data across the brigade, including enemy force composition, friendly force posture, vehicle maintenance, and weapon system readiness.
Working closely with contractors from Anduril Industries, Cyr has become a pivotal point of contact as the Ghost system undergoes its first deployment in jungle terrain. His technical insights and feedback have contributed to operational refinements, and he has also authored standard operating procedures that are now being disseminated to other units adopting the system.
Cyr’s efforts have not gone unnoticed—his name has reached as far as the Pentagon, where senior leaders have noted his impact on emerging drone operations within the division.
"I'll be up at like 2 a.m. googling how frequencies work," Cyr said. "Just reading up and trying to broaden my knowledge to hopefully be able to do this job better."
That drive for understanding has translated directly into mission success—troubleshooting drone airframes, maintaining flight readiness, and pushing capabilities further than what was expected of a junior enlisted Soldier.
"What if this got more widespread... You have one helicopter flying around, but you could have one guy with two Ghosts over here and another over there—that's a lot of space you could cover," he said, referencing scenarios such as search-and-rescue or hurricane response operations.
"Every day, I get to use the Ghost—it's pretty fun. I really enjoy working with it and kind of seeing how the Army wants to progress with it," he said. "It's really interesting to me, and I want to be a part of it."
Through Salaknib and operations like Cyr’s, the U.S. and Philippine armies continue to build trust, enhance interoperability, and strengthen the mutual defense partnership that supports a free and open Indo-Pacific.
As Army formations adapt to the demands of multi-domain operations, Soldiers like Spc. Cyr are helping lead the way—quietly, diligently, and with a deep commitment to innovation that strengthens both tactical capability and regional readiness.

• Date Taken: 04.14.2025
• Date Posted: 04.26.2025 06:13
• Story ID: 496264
• Location: PH