Piry

He is a known expert, providing testimony to the Congressional Oversight Committee on Counter-Terrorism & Security Issues, contributing to Fox News on terrorism and tactics, serving as guest speaker on various national security issues, and featured in the 2002 book “Relentless Pursuit: The DSS and the Manhunt for the Al-Qaeda Terrorists”.

As a U.S. Marine, he served as a corporal at the prestigious 8th & I Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C. After tours at the White House and United Nations, he began a career in foreign service where he served over 20 years with the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) as a Counter Terrorism Special Agent. During his assignments, he served in the elite Mobile Security Deployment (MSD) as a Team Leader responding to high threats situations around the world including Operation Desert Storm. He served in over 120 countries as well as at the American Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon as the Regional Security Officer. He was also responsible for the development and implementation for numerous two-week Protective Security Operations training programs for U.S. Naval Special Warfare Development Group (SEAL TEAM 6) and U.S. Army Special Forces Operations Detachment-Delta personnel.

He served in numerous high-visibility roles. He was the Agent in Charge of the protective detail for former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, as well as responsible for the protection of the former Presidents Aristide and Préval of Haiti and former President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan. He was the lead Diplomatic Security investigator in the investigation of many high-profile international terrorist incidents including the World Trade Center bomber Ramzi Yousef, the East African Embassy bombing, OPM/SANG bombing in Saudi Arabia, the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia, the killing of U.S. Consulate employees in Pakistan, the hostage taking at the Japanese Ambassador’s residence in Peru and the killing of U.S. Embassy employees in Haiti, among many others. He was responsible for the capture of College Francois who killed the embassy employees in Haiti.

After the terrorist attacks on 9/11, he spent many years in Afghanistan and Iraq setting up security at the embassies and the Presidential compound in Afghanistan for the protection of former President Karzai. He was responsible for setting up the High Threat Protection Division and was responsible for the Worldwide Protective Security Contract valued at $3 billion and overseeing thousands of contractors providing security at High Threat Embassies.

Upon entering the private sector, Mr. Piry held several senior leadership positions with organizations that provided security and training programs for the U.S. government and a Classified Agency. This included running the Global Anti-Terrorism Assistance Training and Overseas Building Operations programs.

He has been recognized with the highest civilian award, the Medal of Valor, by former Secretary of State James Baker III. He has received many other Superior Honor Awards to include a Letter of Appreciation from former FBI Director Louis Freeh for assisting in the capture and investigation of Ramzi Ahmed Yousef, an FBI Top Ten Fugitive.

Mr. Piry has a bachelor’s degree in Administration of Justice from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from West Chester University. Mr. Piry is a graduate of the Executive Development Program at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Business School. He is also a certified trainer for weapons/tactics, surveillance detection, hostage survival, and personal protective measures having trained thousands of U.S. government and military personnel.