John Byrnes is currently the Director of Education for Concerned Veterans for America (CVA). As a combat veteran of the USMC and the US Army he is measurably twice as dumb as most veterans. He began his military career with the United States Marines, deploying to Somalia in support of Operation Restore hope in 1993.
He returned to the military in 2000, enlisting in the New York Army National Guard one year before the September 11 2001 attacks. John responded immediately to the September 11th attacks and spent several weeks at ground zero. He has deployed to Iraq in 2004 with NY’s 2/108 In. He assisted in investigating the Dujail massacres, the crime which ultimately led to Saddam Hussein’s guilty verdict. He deployed in 2008 to Afghanistan on a police mentoring team. He retired from military service in 2018. As a Civilian John has been an op-ed columnist at the NY Post, and a veteran advocate.
John has been with CVA since it began operations in 2012. He has served as a local Field Director, Coalitions Director, State Director before heading up our national education efforts.
He is a a Thomas Hunter Honors Graduate of Hunter College in Manhattan, and holds an MPA from MCNY. He is married to the beautiful Carrie Joy.