ARMY
2017 - Present

Captain Ryer M. Barnes, a Xavier High School graduate from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, entered the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2017, where he earned a BS in International Affairs and Spanish in the top ten percent of his class after studying and training at military academies in Ecuador, Colombia, and Chile. Commissioned as an Infantry officer, he completed Infantry Basic Officer Course, Airborne, Ranger School, Air Assault, and Stryker Leader Course before serving with the 2nd Cavalry Regiment in Germany as a platoon leader and troop executive officer, managing a Stryker vehicle fleet and infantry soldiers. Named the regiment’s Officer of the Year in 2023, he represented 2nd Cavalry at the 2024 Best Ranger Competition, finishing 7th overall against elite teams, and spent two years preparing Ukrainian Armed Forces prior to their combat against Russian forces. Graduating third in his Maneuver Captains Career Course class of 101, he was promoted to Captain and now assumes command of Alpha Company, 1-87th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, where he will serve over a year before pursuing a Masters and PhD in International Affairs. Barnes will relocate with his wife, Elizabeth Barnes—a Washington High School graduate and daughter of David and Lijun Chadima—and their first child due summer 2026, ahead of his academic professor role at West Point from 2030 to 2033.

Honored by: Family