National Director of Public Relations
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 John
E. Bircher III was appointed as the National Director of Public Relations
in December, 2008. As a Member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, he has
held a number of elected positions, including National Aide de Camp, Department
of Florida Junior Vice Commander, Trustee, Americanism Officer, and Federal Legislative
Director. In addition, he currently Adjutant and a Past Commander of Chapter 795,
Lady Lake Florida. Patriot Bircher had a distinguished, 30-year military career.
He joined the U.S. Army in 1959 as an enlisted man and retired in 1988 as a Colonel.
Although a Military Intelligence Officer and Middle East Foreign Area Specialist
for most of his career, he served in Vietnam with Special Forces in 1969-1970 where
he was awarded the Purple Heart. Among his many CONUS and overseas assignments,
he served as a Military Attaché in Iran, Lebanon and Morocco and speaks both Arabic
and French fluently. His last military assignment was at the U.S. Department of
State where, as an exchange officer, he was the Director of Regional Affairs and
Politico-Military Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of State for the Near East.
He is a graduate of the National War College and holds a Masters Degree in International
Relations.
 For his valor and military service, Patriot Bircher was awarded
the Defense Superior Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Legion of Merit,
Soldier’s Medal, Bronze Star Medal with “V” device for Valor with Oak Leaf Cluster,
Purple Heart, Defense Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Meritorious
Service Medal, Air Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, and Good Conduct Medal
with Two Knots. He was also awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge,
Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge, Special Forces Tab, and
numerous other U.S. and foreign decorations. He was twice awarded the “Ouissam Alaouite”
by the King of Morocco. Patriot Bircher is now twice retired, as a soldier and as
a Government Relations Consultant in Washington, DC where he was President of Neill
and Company, Inc., a lobbying and public affairs company that specialized in Middle
East business and politics. In addition to MOPH, he is a member of the American
Legion. He was on the Board of Directors of the American Defense Preparedness Association
(ADPA), the Board of the National Defense Industry Association, the Board of the
Tangier American Legation Museum, and was a member of the Board of Directors of
Angel Flight America, a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides
free transportation to medical patients in need of assistance. Patriot Bircher and
his wife Carol now reside in Lady Lake, Florida. |
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