U.S. Army veteran Ron Leber of Perry was elected the state commander of the Department of Iowa Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) at the VFW’s 101st state convention June 4 at the Airport Holiday Inn in Des Moines.
Leber is the first state commander from the VFW Floyd Foster Post 2060 Perry.
The formal change of command and installation ceremony was conducted by VFW National Adjutant General Dan West. Leber succeeds Commander Mike Braman of Knoxville, who led the Department since June 2021.
For VFW of Iowa celebrated 100 years of service to the veterans, military, and families across the great state of Iowa.
Throughout his 19-year active-duty military career, Leber served at Ft. Dix in New Jersey, Ft. Lee in Virginia, Ft. Benning is Georgie, Ft. Carson in Colorado, Ft. Wainwright in Arkansas and Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. Leber also served multiple oversea assignments including a three-year tours in the Republic of Korea, a two-year tour in Germany and 18 months in Honduras.
Leber has served in several positions at all levels of the VFW in Iowa, including four years as an all-state post commander of Perry’s VFW Floyd Foster Post 2060 and two years as the District 5 commander, which included 15 VFW posts in central Iowa. He also served as the state chaplain for All-American State Commander Carol Whitmore from 2019 to 2020.
All members of the VFW Department of Iowa are veterans who deployed into a hostile overseas area. Leber said his motto is “Comradeship, in peace as in war.”
“The VFW realizes the real challenges in the ensuing years,” Leber said upon assuming command. “The VFW is currently composed of about 60% Vietnam veterans, so the Department of Iowa VFW is looking to recruit those returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and let them know that we are for them ‘in peace as in war.’ The Department of Iowa aims to continue its service to veterans and recruit new members.”
