Deiby Legarda

Deiby B. Legarda, originally from Long Island City, New York, is a retired U.S. Army Sergeant First Class with 22 years of distinguished service. Enlisting at the age of 18, Deiby retired in December 2022 after an extensive military career that included three combat tours in Iraq (2003, 2005) and Afghanistan (2010). He was also deployed to Colombia, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, and Kosovo. For the last decade of his service, Deiby served as a Civil Affairs Specialist (38B) in the Special Operations community, planning and executing missions in the SOCSOUTH and EUCOM areas of operation. He was stationed at five different installations, including an overseas posting in Germany, where he was ultimately medically discharged in Kaiserslautern.

Deiby is now based in Orlando, Florida, where he is pursuing a Master’s degree in International Relations with a minor in Humanitarian Law. In addition to being a full-time student, he works as a State Veteran Service Officer with the Florida State Department of Veterans Affairs. He and his wife of 22 years have two children, Dylan (20) and Ariana (9).

What does the Invictus Games mean to you?

What Invictus means to me is being a part of a global community of different cultures but shared experiences. It means coming together towards a common goal of recovery through sports.