RICHARD STEVEN BARELA

376 Valley Brook Drive ​​509-440-1126 (Cell)

Lexington, KY 40511​​​email: rangerlogspt@hotmail.com

MSG (Ret) Barela was born and raised in Albuquerque New Mexico and attended Albuquerque High School graduating in 1971.  After a year of awaiting to apply to the NM State Police.  He decided to enlist in the U.S. Army and on 12 April 1972 took the oath of enlistment under an Airborne contract unassigned.  

He attended Basic Training at Fort Ord CA where he was selected to attend the Leader Preparation Couse and graduated on 16 Jun 1972. Upon completion he was then assigned to Fort Benning GA for Airborne School and graduated on 25 Jul 1972.

Upon graduation from Jump school he was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg NC. And assigned to the HHC, 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne.  He attended the Unit Armorers Course and graduated on 1 Dec. He then attended the 82nd Airborne Leadership and Recondo Course and graduation on 1 Jun 1973.     

In 1974, he volunteered for assignment to the soon to be activated 1st Bn (Ranger) 75th Infantry which was forming at Fort Stewart GA where he reported in July 1974.  He was assigned to Co A, 1st Bn (Ranger) 75thInf as the unit armorer and then Supply Sergeant.  He attended Ranger School Class 501-75 and graduated on 23 Jan 1975.  He was selected to attend Basic NCOES at Fort Lee VA and received recognition as beingthe Honor Graduate and placed in the Commandants List. While he as at Fort Lee, VA he met his wife (Barbara) who have now been married for 47 years. 

In June 1976 he was transferred to Fort Lewis WA and was assigned to HQs S4 2nd Bn (Ranger) 75thInfantry as the Ammo NCO and then to HHC and the Supply Sgt. In May 1976, he requested to be transferred to another unit as they were having their first and only child (John). He was then assigned to Co A 2nd Bn 39th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division.  

He requested and was assigned to Co C 2nd Bn (Ranger) 75th Inf. While assigned as the Supply Sergeant he attended Jumpmaster School under an Mobile Training Team (MTT).  He attended U.S. Army Pathfinder School at Fort Benning and graduated on 9 April 1980.  Upon his return was transitioned to the S4 office and the Property Book NCO working the Bn PBO in property accountability.  

After another assignment change to the 9th Infantry Division CSC, 3rd Bn 47th Inf High Technology Test Bed Company who was field testing the TOW anti-armor missile system.  He attended the Supply Non-Commissioned Officers Advanced Course and graduated on the Commandant’s List in Dec 1981. 

He requested an assignment as a Drill Sergeant and was assigned to Fort Jackson, SC and attended Drill Sergeants School and graduated as the Honor Graduate.   upon completion of Drill Sergeants Academy was assigned to D Co 1st Bn,1st Training Brigade.  He was responsible for 45-60 basic training recruits every 8 weeks and trained 11 female cycles and 8 male cycles and instilled the ethos from the Ranger Creed into the new soldiers. 

During his time, he was tasked to assist in rewriting FM 22-5 for the future.  While on temporary duty to Fort Benning, GA.  He ran into CSM Autrill Cobb (the 3rd Bn CSM and Col Wayne Downing the newly assigned Regimental Commander of the 75th Ranger Regiment.  They were looking for personnel to fill the soon to be activated 75th Ranger Regiment and 3rd Ranger Battalion.  Again, Gen Downing (then Col) asked if he was ready to go back to work and as usual, he stated yes.

While at 3rd Ranger Bn, he assisted the S4 in property management until a Warrant Officer could be brought in.  It was over a 6-month period where he assisted in controlling and ordering all property for the newly formed 3rd Ranger Bn to include the Special Operations equipment for the upcoming missions that 3rd Bn would be certified in. He provided support for day-to-day logistical support and deployed as part of the advance party for the 3rd Bn was involved in.  He was also a primary jumpmaster on a majority of the company parachute operations or was the pathfinder on the ground.  SFC Barela was sent to the "Air Movement Operations and Air Transportability of Hazardous Materials Course and graduated in Nov 1984and used these skills in supporting every Bn deployment and redeployment

Upon his completion as the S4 NCOIC he was transferred to Johnston Atoll and worked as the senior logistics NCO for the United States Army Chemical Activity, Western Command.  He was responsible for property accountability and support to the building the Chemical Destruction Facility with a total property account in excess of $100M with no loss of property upon his transfer.  He transitioned all records from manual to a new automated system that had been fielded for use by support units.  

Upon return he was selected as the 75th Ranger Regiment S4 NCOIC at Fort Benning Ga.  He deployed as part of the advance party for all missions the regiment was involved in.  In Dec 1989, he deployed for the real-world mission, Operation "Just Cause” in support the 1st ever combat deployment of the 75th Ranger Regiment. MSG Barela was responsible for the daily resupply missions to the units in the field and assisted in POW collection to be transported from the forward areas to the rear and turned over to the POW holding area.  He also accounted for all weapons and equipment from the wounded rangers and packaged for transport back to Fort Benning.  During his off time, he devoted time to youth sports as a Baseball coach and as the commissioner of youth Soccer on Fort Benning. 

After his assignment he was transferred overseas to the 7th Special Operations Support Command (Theater Army) in Bad Toelz, Germany as the Senior NCO for the Directorate of Logistics.  Assisted in the development of logistical support plans for the deployment of Special Operations Forces for Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Deployed as part of the advance party to Incirlik AFB, Turkey to establish a Joint Special Operations Task Force Operating Center.  While deployed was tasked by the Special Operations Europe Commander and the 7th SOSC Commander to assist in determining Forward Operating Bases for incoming forces. As part of the Logistics support package was the liaison for the attached Combat Service Support Battalion, which included transportation, Maintenance and Ammunition teams which would provide direct support to the forward deployed Special Operations Forces. MSG Barela was also the Ranger Liaison for any of the 75th Ranger Regiment units that deployed into the European Theater and did conduct visits to the Regiment to ensure that all support requirements they requested were going to be met during the unit’s time in theater. 

MSG Barela retired on 31 Jan 1996 and commenced working for Lockheed Martin at an overseas location where he remained for 16 years as the Logistics Engineer and Procurement Officer.  He was overall responsible for warehouse operations which included the accounting of spare parts and equipment valued in excess of $80M.  He oversaw the packaging and crating of all levels of support to include classified equipment via both commercial and military airlift.  He was sent to Sacramento CA to attend the "Air Movement Operations and Air Transportability of Hazardous Materials Course to include radiologicalmaterials. Attended the training for a new procurement system developed for the program he supported and instituted at the overseas location for property accountability. Was also responsible for development of Logistics support plans to support special builds and movement of equipment in compound. He was used as a classified courier to collect and transfer classified material being returned the United States for reutilization or disposal. 

Upon his return to the United States he worked as the Sub-contracts Manager for Lockheed Martin in Richland WA in support of Department of the Energy.  He oversaw contracts valued in excess of $100M per year.  

He then transitioned to the Sub-contract’s manager for the newly awarded contract to Lockheed Martin in Lexington KY.  He was assigned to The Special Operations Forces Support Activity located at the Bluegrass Depot.  He was responsible for 5 sub-contract administrators and contracts valued in excess of $200M per year.  He also supported in the development of a training program for all the GSCM staff which were assigned to him department. Where he retired from in 2016.  

Mr. Barela has been an active member of the 75th Ranger Regiment Association, the United States Army Association and the Worldwide Army Ranger Association.  He volunteered as the unit director for the HHC and STB of the 75th Ranger Regiment while stationed overseas and worked to ensure the actions of these two units were made available to the members of the 75th RRA. 

In Jun 2015 Mr. Barela was elected as the President of the 75th Ranger Regiment and was re-elected by a overwhelming vote due to his guidance and leading by example.  He was the first member from the modern-day rangers (1974 forward), i.e. the 75th Ranger Regiment or the 1st or 2nd Bn (Ranger) 75th Infantry to be elected as the president. 

During his tenure which lasted 4 years as he was the first of the association presidents to be re-elected instituted a series of changes which would support the 75th Ranger Regiment and the other associations:

MSG (Ret) Barela has been awarded the Darby Leadership Award in 2019 from the Darby Association for his leadership and passing on the Ranger Ethos to all he has come in contact with.  In 2020 MSG (Ret) was inducted into the U.S. Army Ranger Hall of Fame for his overall military service and dedication to the Ranger Creed and his dedication to assist all Rangers Past, Present as the President of the 75th RRA and working with other organizations to support military veterans.  

MSG (Ret) Rick Barela now resides in Lexington KY along with his wife Barb.  He is retired from Lockheed Martin after a 20-year career.  He and Barb are avid golfers and are members of the local.  They are season ticket holders of UK sports, Baseball and Ladies Volleyball.  Rick was also the chairman of the International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA) All- Region Finals Rodeo from 2015 through 2017.