TOP CHARACTER STRENGTHS

HUMOR - LOVE - LOVE OF LEARNING

SSG David R. Staats was a CAV Scout Vehicle Commander with the 1st Cav, 7th U.S. Calvary, Fort Hood, Texas. He died in Taji, Iraq on December 16th, 2006, after his armored vehicle was struck by an Improvised Explosive Devise (IED). David was a remarkable leader, husband, father, son and friend.
“My dad was the strongest example I could have for the rest of my life. It’s so easy to feel him everywhere I go because he left such great lasting memories for my mom and I to live with. I honor him and miss him every day. I thank God for the time we had and the memories we keep.” – Katie

David’s sacrifice was honored during the 2016 Teen Expedition and 2022 Alaska Expedition.

Character Strength Stories: Humor - David was so funny and we laughed together as a family almost every day. Our closest friends dubbed us ‘The Staats Comedy Duo’. We played off of each other and would just laugh at ourselves. He was fun and playful. He enjoyed innocent pranks and jokes to play and was always ready to bring laughter to a room. Love - David loved “out loud”. He wasn’t shy about holding my hand, hugging his kids, saying ‘I love you’ every day, and being invested in family and close friends. He was a soft spoken, kind, gentle, and loving man. Family never had to wonder how he felt. He said it and he showed it. Love of learning - David was a jack of all trades! He could build or fix anything. He could take apart a car engine and put it back together, hang new gutters at my parents house, build a piece of furniture, and help our daughter with a 1st grade science project, all in 1 weekend. He loved learning new skills and was often self-taught. -Meagan, Surviving Wife