As a leader, you are to provide Purpose, Motivation, and Direction. When I left the military, I lost these. WWO is my Purpose, Motivation, and Direction, and I hope to continue to provide the same to our Wounded Service Men and Women through this amazing organization.
Yancy Baer, Vetting Committee
Yancy Baer Major, U.S. Army, Retired
Major Yancy Baer joined the U.S. Army in 1990 after basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia. Major Baer spent 9.5 years as an enlisted Infantryman. During this time, he attended Airborne School, Air Assault School, and Pathfinder School. He earned his Expert Infantryman’s Badge while serving in units like the 2nd Infantry Division’s 503rd Air Assault Battalion and the 82nd Airborne Division’s 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Baer applied for the Green-Gold program and was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant in May 2001.
Continuing his training, he attended the Mortuary Affairs’ Course and Parachute Rigger Course. As Lieutenant, he served as a platoon leader, shop control officer, and company executive officer, serving many tours overseas. From 2005 to 2014, following the Captain’s Career Course, Major Baer served in the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) as a Company Commander, Battalion Logistics Officer, Battalion Operations Officer, Group Support Operations Officer, and Battalion Executive Officer.
On his fourth deployment in November 2009, Baer was medically evacuated out of Iraq for a non-battle-related injury to his left leg. After three reconstructive surgeries, an osteosarcoma tumor was found. This led to 8 months of chemotherapy treatment and the amputation of his left leg below the knee. Major Baer returned to duty after 10 months of extensive rehabilitation at Brooke Army Medical Center for the Intrepid, parachuting with the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and doing yet another year overseas as a Battalion Executive Officer, and officially retiring from the Army in January 2015.
Major Baer’s awards and decorations include: Four Bronze Star Medals, two Meritorious Service Medals, eight Army Commendation Medals and seven Army Achievement Medals. He has earned the Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Air Assault Badge, Parachute Rigger Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, and Combat Action Badge. His foreign decorations include the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency, German Parachutist Badge, Polish Parachutist Badge, Netherlands Parachutist Badge, and the Australian Parachutist Badge.
“WWO is my Purpose, Motivation, and Direction, and I hope to continue to provide the same to our Wounded Service Men and Women through this amazing organization.”
Baer retired from the Army in January 2015 and currently volunteers for several non-profit organizations, serving on their Board of Directors and working full-time as a General Superintendent for LPL Solar.
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