Laurie received a B.A. in history at the University of Northern Iowa in 1977 and taught American history and government in Council Bluffs, Iowa, until 1984. He earned an M.A. in history at the University of Nebraska in 1982 and a Ph.D. in history at the American University in 1990. Since joining the U.S. Army Center of Military History in 1986, he has taught at the American University and the University of Maryland in Baltimore County.