May 2021 Veteran of the Month: Ryan Bauer

Military Service

 Served for four years in the U.S. Air Force as an F-15 Crew Chief at Mountain Home Air Force Base. Left the Air Force in 2017 after four years of service as a Senior Airman (E-4).

Public Service

President of the Florida State University Collegiate Veterans Association.

Biography

Ryan Bauer is an Air Force veteran and an MBA candidate at the Florida State University College of Business. In the Air Force he served as an F-15E Strike Eagle Crew Chief stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base in southwestern Idaho. In this capacity, he led a five-person team that maintained Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle jet fighters to be ready to fly at a moment’s notice to conduct military missions.

In the Air Force he deployed to Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. During this deployment, the fighter jets that he maintained provided air support for ground troops in various combat zones throughout the region. After returning to the United States, Ryan focused on his education and took advantage of the Air Force’s tuition assistance plan to earn an Associate of Applied Science in aviation maintenance technology from the Community College of the Air Force. After leaving the Air Force in 2017, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University. Ryan is currently an MBA candidate at FSU and serves as president of the Collegiate Veterans Association, advocating for his fellow student veterans. His military awards include the Air Force Achievement Medal, the 366 Equipment Maintenance Squadron Airman of the Quarter award, and the 366 Maintenance Group Airman of the Quarter award.