A veteran of the Vietnam War, his senior command assignments included the 4th Infantry Division and the First United States Army.

[1][2] He graduated from Channelview High School,[3] and in 1962 he received a Bachelor of Science in commercial marketing from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

[4] A participant in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps program, at his graduation he received his commission in the United States Army as a second lieutenant of Infantry.

[6] In 1966, LaBoa was appointed aide-de-camp to Lieutenant General Louis W. Truman, commander of the Third United States Army at Fort McPherson, Georgia.

[4] In the early and mid 1980s, LaBoa's assignments included assistant chief of staff for plans, operations and training (G-3) and inspector general for the 5th Infantry Division.

[1][4] After leaving the army, LaBoa was employed by CIBA Vision as director of daily contact lens manufacturing.