Colonel Ian J. Lauer is a native of White Bear Lake, Minnesota. He received his commission through the University of Minnesota in 1999. His first assignment was with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Carson, Colorado. Following graduation from the Armor Captain’s Career Course, he served in Germany where he commanded Company C, 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment and Troop E, 4th US Cavalry Regiment (Brigade Reconnaissance Troop). He then served as the Battalion Operations Officer for 3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment. Colonel Lauer attended the Joint Command and General Staff College at the Baltic Defense College in Tartu, Estonia. Following graduation, he was assigned to Operations Group at the National Training Center where he served as a Cavalry Squadron Operations Officer Trainer (Cobra 03), Brigade Operations Officer Trainer (Bronco 03), and Chief of Plans and Operations (Lizard 03). Colonel Lauer then commanded 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, and, subsequently, 3rd Squadron, 4th Security Force Assistance Brigade. He is a 2022 graduate of the United States Army War College with a master’s degree in Strategic Studies. Colonel Lauer’s last assignment was as the Assistant Chief of Staff, G3, for the NATO Rapid Deployable Corps – Turkey in Istanbul, Turkey.
Colonel Lauer’s operational deployments include Operation Iraqi Freedom from January 2004 to February 2005, August 2006 to November 2007, December 2008 to November 2009; and Operation Enduring Freedom from July 2011 to June 2012.
Colonel Lauer is married to the former Ms. Lynn Bresin of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, with whom he has five children: Sullivan (23), Eva (21), Truman (19), Henri (12), and Graham (9)…and one grandchild, Irwin (born 15 September 2022).