His wife Fixie recently completed the rigorous training or boot camp at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, successfully. 'We are happy for the rare honour of being the first-ever Indian couple in the US Army. We feel proud of our achievement,' Cyriac, 35, wrote from Iraq. 'Somebody needs to pull the guard and prove that Indian Americans are not far behind. I believe that we represent a lot of Indians.'

A parachute rigger, he is currently serving as a supply sergeant in Iraq. Cyriac created news three years ago when he played the tabla to win the first prize in the instrumental solo category of the US Army's 2003 Margaret 'Skippy' Lynn Stars of Tomorrow Entertainment Contest.

Artists in the US Army worldwide came to Fort Belvoir, Virginia, for the contest.

"I joined the army to show my support to the country and my husband who is on active duty," says Fixie, 31, a dance teacher.

"It was not easy for an Indian woman to do all that the Caucasian or African-American women do. More than the physical struggle, the mental stress was too much. I am happy that I completed it successfully," said Fixie, who earlier worked in Hong Kong for a shipping company.

Though she was selected for special category appointment in the army, the training was no different. She had to run several miles, climb hills carrying heavy luggage and endure other strenuous exercises. A particularly unpleasant experience involved her spending five days in a forest without a bath.

She does not need to go to fight on the war front. She will be behind lines with the human resource personnel.

"I was told it would be an interesting news that my wife and I have committed ourselves to this war on terror, whereas many immigrants just enjoy only the fruits of the blessed land," Cyriac said.

Guarding 3,000 detainees in Sulaimaniya and training Iraqi correctional cadets are not easy tasks. But he felt at home in Iraq because of the many good curries he got to eat, thanks to the many benevolent Kerala cooks he met there.

Cyriac said his proudest moment in Iraq was on last August 15, "when I gathered some 15 Punjabis to sing the Indian national anthem in Sulaimaniya before an American audience."

Cyriac joined the army in 2002. A graduate from India, as an army recruit he applied for an MBA degree. He speaks Arabic, Urdu and Hindi, all of which help him in Iraq.

Though he can quit the army after four years of service, he plans to stay on for 30 years.

He said he is privileged to be an "extraordinary minister of the Catholic Church even in the combat zone approved by the military archbishop."

"Currently, there are very few Indians in the army. Those who are in the services are mainly medical personnel. This needs to change," Cyriac said.

He did his basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, Airborne School in Fort Benning, and the Georgia and Parachute Rigger School in Virginia. The couple has two small children who are with Fixie's parents in India.

This article was first published in India Abroad.