Combat Veterans For Congress---Embedded Integrity 

The Combat Veterans For Congress PAC is re-endorsing the 86th Combat Veteran For Congress in 2014; he is a fiscally conservative candidate who believes in limited government, will work to rein in the out of control spending by Congress and the Obama Administration, work to reduce the national debt, will work toward unleashing the private sector to grow once again in order to create jobs, will restore the personal liberties of the American people, and will stimulate private sector business investment; he believes that an efficient government should serve the people and upholds the highest standards of integrity and transparency.  BGen Mark Bircher, USNA ’76, USMCR (Ret) Esq. of Seminole, Florida is running for Congress to seek the Republican nomination to run for the seat in the 13th Congressional District of Florida that is being vacated by Congressman David Jolly (R-FL-13) who is campaigning to be elected to the US Senate seat being vacated by US Senator Marco Rubio.   

Mark Bircher was born on June 25, 1953 in Pensacola, Florida and was raised in Alexandria, Virginia.  Mark’s father, Cdr William Bircher, USN (Ret) was a pilot who served in the Korean conflict, was awarded Air Medals for his Combat Duty, and was Honorably Discharged from active duty in 1970.  Mark graduated from the Mount Vernon High School in Alexandria on June 13, 1971.  In June 1972, Mark was sworn into the US Navy as a Midshipman 4/c at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.  Midshipman First Class Mark Bircher graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree on June 2, 1976, and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the US Marine Corps.  In December 2008, Mark graduated from Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida with a Juris Doctorate Degree, and passed the Florida Bar.       

Following graduation from the US Naval Academy, in July 1976 2nd Lt Bircher reported to The Basic School (TBS) at the US Marine Corps Base, Quantico, VA and completed Basic Marine Corps Officer training in January 1977.   In February 1977, 2nd LT Bircher reported to Pensacola Naval Air Station for Basic Flight Training.  In May 1978, 2nd LT Bircher was promoted to First Lieutenant, and received his “Wings of Gold” in July 1978 at Naval Air Station, Meridian, Mississippi.  1st LT Bircher reported for Replacement Air Crew Training in the F-4 Phantom fighter to Marine Fighter-Attack Training Squadron 101 at the Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Arizona.  He received orders to report on August 1979 to VMFA-451 as an F-4J fighter pilot based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, SC. The Squadron deployed twice over the next two years on missions operating in the Western Pacific, while based at US Marine Corps Air Station in Iwakuni, Japan.  

In June 1981, 1st Lt Bircher was promoted to Captain.  In May 1982, Cpt Bircher received orders to report as a US Marine Corps Exchange pilot flying the F-15 Eagle with the US Air Force, 58th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Elgin Air Force Base, Florida. Cpt Bircher graduated from the Navy Fighter Weapons School at Miramar Naval Air Station, San Diego, CA as a Top Gun Pilot.  In September 1984, Cpt Bircher received orders to report to the Blue Angels as demonstration pilot in the A-4 Skyhawk with the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron in Pensacola, FL.  In March 1987, Cpt Bircher was promoted to Major, and was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal for service involved with transitioning the Blue Angels from the A-4 Skyhawk to the F/A-18 Hornet aircraft. On June 14, 1988, Maj Bircher resigned his regular active duty US Marine Corps Commission, received an Honorable Discharge, and accepted a US Marine Corps Reserve Commission as a Major.    

Maj Bircher began his career as a US Marine Corps Reserve Officer, with orders in May 1991 to report to Marine Observation Squadron Four, Naval Air Station Atlanta, GA.  In June 1992, Maj Bircher received orders to duty as Commanding Officer, Marine Observation Squadron Four and promotion to Lieutenant Colonel.   In June1994, Lt Col Bircher was ordered to his second command, when he assumed Command of Marine Fighter-Attack Squadron 142, Naval Air Station Cecil Field, Florida; in February 1997 he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.  In July 1998, Lt Col Bircher received orders to report for duty as Watch Officer, Office Secretary of Defense (Policy), Executive Support Center, 3C-912, The Pentagon, Washington, DC.  In October 1998, Lt Col Bircher was promoted to Colonel. In June 1999, Col Bircher was ordered to duty as Deputy Group Commander, Marine Air Group 42, Naval Air Station Atlanta, GA.   In June 2001, Col Bircher was awarded with a gold star in lieu of his second Meritorious Service Medal.  In June 2002, Col Bircher reported as the Deputy Chief of Staff (G-6), Fourth Marine Air Wing Staff, New Orleans, LA. 

In February 2003, Col Bircher deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and reported to MajGen James Amos, who later became Commandant of the US Marine Corps, as a Battle Captain for the 3rdMarine Aircraft Wing Headquarters (Forward) which was initially at Al Jabber Air Base, Kuwait.  Col Bircher moved through Iraq, with the Air Wing ground echelon, supporting the aviation scheme of maneuver, to Qalat Sikar, Ad Diwaniyah, Al Hillah, and Babylon, Iraq.  Although much of the HQ remained in Kuwait, a large presence was established at Babylon as the mission changed from combat operations to support and integration of the coalition security forces.   Col Bircher returned to CONUS on September 3, 2003, upon completion of his duty assignment.  For combat duty, Col Bircher was awarded the Bronze Star Medal along with various service and campaign medals.  

In February 2005, Col Bircher was promoted to Brigadier General.  In January 2006, BGen Bircher received orders as Deputy Commanding General, First Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA.   He served as Deputy to Lt Gen John Sattler and then as Deputy to Lt Gen James Mattis.  In July 2007, BGen Bircher received orders as Commanding General, Fourth Marine Air Wing, New Orleans, LA.   In June 2008, BGen Bircher received orders as Commanding General, Marine Force South, Miami, FL.  On October 1, 2009, upon retirement from the US Marine Corps Reserve, BGen Bircher was awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal and received an Honorable Discharge from the US Marine Corps Reserve.   BGen Mark Bircher, USMCR (Ret)’s medals include the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (Gold Star in lieu of second award), The Navy Commendation Medal, along with various campaign and service medals.

On June 15, 1988, Mark Bircher accepted a position as a commercial pilot in one of the major airline; the airline’s non-political endorsement policy precludes mentioning them in Mark’s political campaign.  Mark has been flying with the same major airline for 25 years, now as a First Officer piloting the Boeing 777.  Mark has been endorsed by the National Defense PAC, and the Combat Veterans For Congress PAC.  Mark is a member of the Naval Academy Alumni Association, the Blue Angels Association, the VFW, the American Legion, the NRA, and the Florida State Bar Association.  Mark’s hobbies include reading, history, Constitutional history, astronomy, following the Tampa Bay Rays, and in any activity involving his son.  Mark has been married to his wife Jackie for 14 years; they are proud parents of their son, Bill age 12.  The Birchers are Presbyterian, and grateful for the loving start their son received at Faith Presbyterian Church Preschool.

The Combat Veterans For Congress PAC is pleased to endorse BGen Mark Bircher, USNA ’76, USMCR (Ret), Esq. who will bring to Congress private sector skills and wisdom to better solve problems in government and represent the 13th Congressional District of Florida and the Republic. If you review BGen Bircher’s positions on his Web site, you would be pleased with his stands; they agree with the Combat Veterans For Congress Mission Statement.  We look forward to working with BGen Bircher, and are pleased that a Combat Veteran of his caliber is running for Congress.  If you have friends, associates, or relatives who know voters in the 13th Congressional District of Florida, kindly pass this E-mail on to them, and ask them to support BGen Bircher by working in his campaign, providing financial support for his campaign in any amount, and/or by networking with others who would be willing to support his campaign.  The military is one of the few remaining institutions producing the caliber of men and women needed to restore this nation to the greatness our Founding Fathers envisioned.  We have endorsed another Combat Veteran For Congress that General George Washington would have approved of.  He is a Veteran who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to “The United States of America” for an amount “up to and including his life.”