Faculty & Staff

Lieutenant Colonel Laz was commissioned from Illinois State University in December 2008. After completing Basic Officer Leader Course-II at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and the Armor Officer Basic Course at Fort Knox, Kentucky, he was assigned to the 2^nd Infantry Division at Camp Casey, South Korea where he served as a tank Platoon Leader and Armor Company Executive Officer in 1^st Battalion, 72^nd Armor Battalion, 1^st Brigade Combat Team. After completing his tour in South Korea, Lieutenant Colonel Laz joined the 4^th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado. He served as the Executive Officer for an Infantry Company and an Assistant Battalion Operations officer in 1^st Battalion, 66^th Armor Regiment, 1^st Brigade Combat Team and deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Upon returning from Afghanistan, Lieutenant Colonel Laz graduated from the Maneuver Captains Career Course and Cavalry Leader Course at then Fort Moore, GA in 2012. He then joined the 1^st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas where he served as an assistant Brigade Operations Officer and later an Armor Company Commander in 1^st Battalion, 18^th Infantry Regiment, 2^nd Brigade Combat Team. While assigned as a Company Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Laz participated in Operation Shared Accord in South Africa and deployed his Company to Kenya in support of Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa from 2013 to 2014. He then assumed command of the 1^st Infantry Divisions’ Headquarters Support Company and deployed the Divisions Headquarters to Erbil, Iraq from 2014-2015 as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. Upon returning to Fort Riley in 2015, Lieutenant Colonel Laz attended graduate school at St. Louis University before being assigned as a Cavalry Observer Controller/Teacher at the Joint Readiness Center in then Fort Johnson, Louisiana. He was later selected to attend the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and School of Advanced Military Studies at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Upon graduation from the School of Advanced Military Studies, Lieutenant Colonel Laz served as the United States Air Force’s 9^th Air Expeditionary Task Force- Afghanistan Chief of Plans from 2020-2021 in support of Operation Resolute Support in Afghanistan. Upon completion of his tour in Afghanistan, Lieutenant Colonel Laz returned to Fort Riley; Kansas where he served as the 1^st Infantry Division’s Chief of Operations. In February 2022, Lieutenant Colonel became the Battalion Operations Officer and later the Battalion Executive officer for the 2^nd Battalion, 70^th Armor Regiment, 2^nd Brigade Combat Team and deployed the Battalion to Poland as a part of Operation Assure, Deter, and Reinforce Allies in response to Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine. Upon returning from Poland in 2023, Lieutenant Colonel Laz was assigned to the Mission Command Training Program’s Operation Group Bravo at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas where he served as a Movement and Maneuver Observer Controller/Teacher. Currently, Lieutenant Colonel Laz is the Professor of Military Science at Truman State University, in Kirksville, Missouri.

Lieutenant Colonel Laz’s civilian education includes a Bachelor’s of Science in History from Illinois State University, a Master of Science in Ancient and Classical History from American Military University, a Master of Arts in American History from Saint Louis University, and a Master of Arts in Military Operations from the School of Advanced Military Studies.

Lieutenant Colonel Laz’s military education includes the Armor Officer Basic Course, Maneuver Captain’s Career Course, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, School of Advanced Military Studies, Airborne School, Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention Course, the Equal Opportunity Leaders Course, Army Reconnaissance Course and the Cavalry Leaders Course.

Military Awards include: the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with five oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with one oak cluster, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, National Defense Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Korea Defense Service Medal, the Military Outstanding Volunteer Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon with “4” Device,  and the NATO Medal.  In addition, he has earned the Combat Action Badge, Parachutist Badge, and has been awarded the U.S. Cavalry Association’s Order of Saint George for service to the Cavalry community.

Lieutenant Colonel Laz is married to wife Amy of 10 years, and they have two children – a toddler Nathaniel, and Casimir an infant.