Col. Kyle R. Baer
Chief of Staff - Indiana Army National Guard
Colonel Kyle Baer is the Indiana National Guard Army Chief of Staff and Brigade Commander – 81st Troop Command, Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA).
Col. Baer has more than 31 years of military service, enlisting in the Indiana Army National Guard in June 1995. He completed Basic Training at Fort Benning, Georgia and then attended state Officer Candidate School at the Indiana Military Academy (IMA), commissioning in August 2000.
Col. Baer’s previous assignments include:
Enlisted Rifleman C/1-152nd Infantry, Infantry Rifle Platoon Leader, C/1-151st Infantry; Attached to E TRP 238th Cavalry during this Platoon Leader position, Col. Baer mobilized for Operation Joint Forge, Bosnia-Herzegovinian (SFOR 11) from Sept. 2001 to Oct. 2002.
From Jan. 2003 to Feb. 2004, he was deployed to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF 1) with the 1-152nd Infantry as a Platoon Leader. Upon return from OIF 1, COL Baer mobilized for Afghanistan with the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) but served as Rear Detachment assistant S3 for HHC 76th IBCT in Indianapolis.
Col. Baer joined the Active Guard/Reserve (AGR) program in 2006 as 2-152nd (MECH) Battalion (BN) Admin Officer and then, during reorganization, was transferred to 1-293rd Infantry BN as the BN Admin Officer.
In Feb. 2007, Col. Baer became A/1-293rd Company Commander and deployed back to Iraq for a second time as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom (2008-2009). Upon return from deployment, Col. Baer served as the Senior Full-Time Unit Support (SrFTUS) and assistant S3 for the 1-293rd Infantry BN.
In May 2011, Col Baer transferred to the Civil Support Team (CST) as the Deputy Commander from 2011-2014, which included multiple activations in support of civil authorities and the Indiana FBI field office.
In 2014, Col. Baer attended the resident Command and General Staff College (CGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Upon graduation, Col. Baer was the 76th IBCT S3 from June 2015 to June 2016.
In June 2016, Col. Baer was transferred to Headquarters Indiana National Guard to serve as the J3/5 Plans Officer for the Director of Military Support (DOMS) and J3 Director of Plans, Operations, and Training.
In Oct. 2018, Col. Baer became 1-293rd Infantry BN Commander, serving in that role until 2020, deploying as Task Force Indiana Commander to Washington, D.C. for Civil Unrest in the National Capital Region (NCR). Upon return from Washington, D.C., Col. Baer became the 76th IBCT Executive Officer and Senior Full-Time Supervisor (AGR) from 2020 to 2022, which included multiple activations in support of civil unrest and COVID response efforts in Indiana.
In August 2022, Col. Baer attended the prestigious resident Senior Service College - United States War College Fellowship at University of Texas in Austin, TX. Upon graduation in June 2023, COL Baer was the Indiana National Guard J33 Director of Military Support (DOMS). COL Baer served as the Indiana National Guard Director of Personnel – J1 (AGR) from April 2024 through November 2026.
Col. Baer’s military education includes Indiana Officer Basic Course, Indiana Captains Career Course, Air Assault School, Army Pathfinder School, Rappel Master Course, Civil Support Skills Course, Intermediate Level Education and the Advanced Operations Course, Red Team Leader Course and Senior Service College – United States Army War College fellowship at the University of Texas.
Col. Baer earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Purdue University and a Graduate Degree from Central Michigan University. A few of his distinguished awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal, Air Assault Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Combat Infantryman Badge and German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge.
