University of Colorado Boulder 1965
Hometown: Boulder, Colorado
Inducted May 2016
Colonel Barry S. Baer USA (Ret) graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1965, and commissioned into the regular Army. He served as a U.S. Army officer for nearly 27 years, retiring at the rank of Colonel. He commanded an armored cavalry troop in Vietnam, a finance battalion in Germany, and an airborne finance brigade during the first Gulf War. During his career from 1965 to 1992, he served in numerous duty locations to include Republic of Vietnam, Republic of Korea, Germany, California, Kansas, North and South Carolina, and Indiana. His numerous awards for military service include the Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster, the bronze medal with V Device, Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, and an Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster. Colonel (Ret) Baer also was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge in 1967 and the Army Parachute Badge in 1990.
Colonel (Ret) Baer served in progressively responsible positions in the finance and accounting fields. In addition to commanding all levels of Finance units, Colonel Baer served as the senior finance instructor at the U.S. Army Finance School, as the Central Disbursing Officer in Seoul, Korea, working closely with American and Korean banks, and Director of Army Finance and Accounting Systems at the U.S. Army Finance and Accounting Center.
Colonel (Ret) Baer has a distinguished academic history. He earned a Master of Business Administration in 1972, graduated from the Army Command and General Staff College in 1978, became a Certified Public Accountant in 1979 (one of the first Finance officers to achieve this), and graduated from the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, in 1986.
After retiring from the U.S. Army, Colonel (Ret) Baer served as Director of Public Works for the City of Indianapolis before moving into the private sector. In his civilian career, Colonel (Ret) Baer served as a full-time financial management operator and advisor, with extensive experience as a Chief Financial Officer, Secretary, and Treasurer of public, private, and not-for-profit entities. With over 45 years of experience, including the last twelve as a “fractional” Chief Financial Officer, Colonel (Ret) Baer continues to serve on various not-for-profit-boards as a volunteer leader.
Colonel (Ret) Baer’s hometown is Boulder, Colorado. He is married to his wife Susan. On Jan 29, 2016, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They have two sons and five grandchildren.