“Textron Strengthens Leadership with Pete Larsen as Executive Director for Air Force Government Relations”

Today, Textron Government Affairs and Washington Operations is pleased to announce the addition of Peter “Pete” Larsen, a former faculty member at the National War College and a retired Colonel of the U.S. Air Force. Larsen joins the Washington, D.C. team under the leadership of Shannon Hutcherson Hines, senior vice president.

“We are excited to have Pete as part of Textron,” Hines stated. “Pete has quickly become an essential contributor to the Washington, D.C. team, utilizing his extensive experience as a senior-level authority in Middle Eastern affairs, South Asian matters, U.S. Air Force operations, and Defense policies to enhance Textron’s diverse offerings in Defense, Commercial, and Special Missions sectors.”

Before his tenure at the National War College, where he instructed emerging senior government officials on Middle Eastern studies, policy formulation, and strategic development, Larsen operated as the Director for South Asia Regional Affairs on the White House National Security Council, playing crucial roles during the Trump and Biden administrations. He also held the position of Chief of the South and Central Asia Division within the Joint Staff’s Deputy Directorate for Middle Eastern Affairs and acted as the political-military advisor to the Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs at the Department of State. As a Middle Eastern Foreign Area Officer, he served as the Air Attaché to Israel and commanded the 818th Air Mobility Advisor Squadron at McGuire Air Force Base, where the squadron’s mission concentrated on enhancing the capabilities of African nations.

With specialized knowledge in Air Force Contingency Response and Air Operations Center Operations, Larsen contributes a sophisticated comprehension of complex military settings. As an aviator, he amassed over 1,700 flight hours in the C-130E/H Hercules while deployed to Southwest Asia (Iraq) and the Balkans.

Larsen secured his commission in the U.S. Air Force by completing the University of North Carolina-Charlotte Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program and is a notable graduate of both the Naval Postgraduate School and the National War College. He holds an MBA from Webster University and has completed studies at the Defense Language Institute three times, specializing in Arabic, Hebrew, and German. A certified Project Management Professional (PMP), he is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at the Schar School for Policy and Government, focusing on research in emerging technologies.