John Bourges

John Bourges served as a Captain in the United States Army Reserve.

Upon graduation from the Police Academy in 1981, Mr. Bourges joined the New York City Police Department as a Patrolman, then the Narcotics Division, while ultimately being promoted to the Detective Bureau in 1987. With 20 years on the force, he retired in 2001 as a Detective 2nd Grade.

Mr. Bourges’ service did not end upon this retirement. Within two weeks, the attacks of September 11 took place and claimed the lives of many of his colleagues and friends. With a renewed sense of duty, he pursued an Associate degree in Nursing from Westchester Community College (WCC), graduating in 2003.

Due to administrative issues, his nursing degree did not officially qualify him to serve as a nurse with the Reserve. Mr. Bourges was aware that they needed nurses and addressed this issue with the Pentagon directly, which amended the policy, and in 2006, he enlisted in the United States Army Reserve Unit as Second Lieutenant with the 405th Combat Support Hospital.

In June 2007, with the 325th Combat Support Hospital, as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Mr. Bourges was deployed to Iraq. He described the experience: “On the very first day, our commanding officer says we are being deployed to Iraq…I had been in the Army about 15 minutes and we are already going to Iraq. Within a year, I was standing in the middle of Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. It was 2007; we were part of the surge.”

After over a year in Iraq, Mr. Bourges returned home and continued his nursing career with service at Northern Westchester Hospital, Putnam Hospital Center, and Westchester Medical Center. He remained active with the U.S. Army Reserve Unit and would reach the rank of Captain before his 2014 honorable discharge. In 2015, he was elected Putnam County Coroner.

His accolades include a Lifetime Achievement Award from the NYPD. In the military, he earned the Army Commendation Medal, two Army Achievement Medals, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star and the Overseas Service Ribbon.

Mr. Bourges currently resides in Mahopac with his wife, and enjoys traveling abroad with family and friends.