While in the Army he served in a variety of assignments including twenty-five years in Special Forces units. These assignments include a strategic intelligence assignment as the activity's intelligence collection manager, a Special Mission Unit, and 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) as Team Sergeant on a Combat Dive Team. After 5th Special Forces Group, he was assigned to run The United States Army Underwater Operations School in Key West, Florida whose mission is to train our nation's combat divers in a variety of combat infiltration and combat diving skills. While running this highly dangerous inter-service school, the school achieved a first.   It was the first time in the school's history it did not have a single dive-related injury.

During his twenty-five year special operations career SGM Barchers has been involved in all aspects of special operations which include four combat tours spanning three regions of the world.  He has made hundreds of parachute jumps.   In addition, he has conducted numerous special category missions (SPECAT).

SGM Barcher's awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, The Bronze Star Medal, The Joint Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Meritorious Service, the Combat Infantry Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Combat Dive Supervisor's Badge, and the Combat Divers Badge. He is a graduate from the Defense Language Institute for Polish, German, and Arabic.