Andrew Baer served as a First Lieutenant in the Indiana Air National Guard, 181st Fighter Group, 113rd Fighter Squadron. Based at Hulman International Airport in Terre Haute, Indiana, he served as an F-4 Phantom II Weapons Systems Officer and navigator. On September 19, 1990, he was flying a training mission over the Fallon, Nevada desert with his pilot when their jet crashed during a high-speed, low-altitude turning maneuver. At the outset of the mishap, Baer initiated a dual-sequenced ejection that was unsuccessful due to the low altitude.