In this season of celebration and giving thanks, Salem native Lori Singer-Bare is grateful for being in the right place at the right time, again.
Singer-Bare is finishing her first semester as a lecturer in the criminology and justice studies program at Kent State University at Trumbull and as an instructor at Kent State's Police Academy.
After graduating from Hiram College in 2009, Singer-Bare enlisted in the United States Army. Over the last 13 years on active duty, she has served as a military police officer, drill sergeant, and special operations sergeant. In addition, she earned an MPA in Emergency Management and Homeland Security from Upper Iowa University (2020), a Master of Education Certificate in Teacher Leadership from Upper Iowa University (2021), and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at Liberty University in Public Administration.
"When I became a drill sergeant and instructor, I decided that I loved teaching and being in front of the classroom," Singer-Bare said. "I told my husband, Travis, that I would love to become a college professor someday."
Earlier this year, a position became available at Kent State Trumbull just as she was retiring from the Army.
"I looked at this new position, which would be close to my hometown, and said, ‘Wow! It's like both worlds collided - law enforcement meets academia,’" she said. "This opportunity was screaming my name.”
She didn't think she had a chance. However, she decided to move forward. Her first step was figuring out how to create a curriculum vitae (CV), so she called a friend that works at Malone University for help.
"I listed awards and training and crossed my fingers that everything would work out," Singer-Bare said.
Soon after, she received a call for an interview.
This fall, she is taking a legal class to earn accreditation to teach it. She also plans to teach active shooter response after completing Single Officer Response to Active Threats (SORAT) training next month, which is what she specialized in when she was an instructor for the United States Army Military Police School.
Singer-Bare did not become interested in active shooter response by chance, and the awards she listed on her CV were significant.
On April 2, 2014, she, then a noncommissioned officer with the 178th Military Police Detachment, 89th Military Police Brigade, was working in the Traffic Management and Collision Investigation section. Her base, Fort Hood, went to heightened security measures and she received a call to respond to a scene where a soldier was erratically shooting a weapon.
She started questioning two soldiers in the area and was prepping to get them to a safer location when she saw someone out of the corner of her eye.
"I confronted him by saying, ‘Hey, soldier, you can't go in there. We have a situation going on.’ He lifted his Army Combat Uniform jacket to show that he had a weapon and identified that he was the shooter," she said.
Instinctively she readied her weapon, ready to go. She fired a shot to disable the shooter and then he took his own life. The shooter took four lives, including his own, and left 16 wounded.
For her heroic actions Singer-Bare earned the Soldier's Medal.
"It's important to take active-shooter training seriously," she said. "It's key to train and practice -- it makes things all the better in the end. If you actually take things seriously, people are going to know where to go when things happen."
Singer-Bare is indeed thankful. She is back in her hometown with Travis and their three children, Travis Jr. (13), Emily (5) and Jackson (4). Last month, she was invited back to Salem High School to give a motivational speech to the basketball teams.
"I am grateful that life has brought me back here-full circle," she said. "I look forward to making a difference for these students and cadets and sharing with them the skills and mindset to help them deal with the most challenging circumstances."
Singer-Bare has also earned Soldier of the Year 89th Military Police Brigade (2011), Fort Hood and III Corps Noncommissioned Officer of the Year (2012), Sergeant Audie Murphy Club Inductee (2012), Soldier’s Medal Recipient, Drill Sergeant, Instructor, Military Police, Platoon Sergeant, Order of the Marechaussee in Bronze (2021). Highest rank- Sergeant First Class (E7).
Lori Singer-Bare's husband, 1st Sgt. Travis Bare, Sr., is active in the Missouri National Guard Department of the Army and resides at Fort Riley.
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