Thomas F. Barnes was inducted into the U.S. Army on October 28, 1958 at Memphis, Tennessee. His basic training began at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas on November 1, 1958. He was attached to the U.S. Naval School of Music in Washington, D.C. on January 7, 1959 and served at Fort Chaffee, Fort Benjamin Harrison, Fort Knox, Fort McPherson, Fort Lee, Fort Bragg, Fort Campbell, Fort McClellan, and headquarters of the 4th Corps in Birmingham, Alabama. He was commissioned in October 1960 and promoted to captain in September, 1968. Thomas received an honorable discharge on March 5, 1982.