Eric J. Larson currently serves as the Acting Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Service (DSCS). He previously served as Deputy Director of DSCS. Larson has led the Service through initial and full operating capacity to fulfill the National Defense Authorization Act mandate, ensuring U.S. Military Groups at U.S. Embassies worldwide are structured, staffed, trained, and resourced to accomplish their missions. The DSCS supports more than 1,500 personnel across 142 U.S. Embassies and Major Commands globally.
Prior to this appointment, Mr. Larson was a Regional Program Lead for the Institute for Security Governance supporting U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM). In this capacity, he coordinated Institutional Capacity Building initiatives in Central Asia, Iraq, and the Gulf, and led Security Sector Reform negotiations in Sudan.
Mr. Larson retired from the United States Army in 2021, concluding more than 30 years of distinguished active-duty service. In his final military assignment, he commanded the United States Military Observer Group, the headquarters element for Department of Defense personnel assigned to United Nations missions. His prior assignments include serving as the Division Chief for Security Cooperation Operations at Headquarters, USCENTCOM. From 2015 to 2018, he was the Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché to the Sultanate of Oman, securing critical DoD operational access to the Strait of Hormuz, the Indian Ocean, and Yemen.
Following his graduation from the U.S. Army War College in 2012, Colonel Larson served as Chief of the Strategic Leadership Division within the Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA) Strategy, Plans, and Policies Directorate. As the Army Foreign Area Officer (FAO) and Strategist Proponent, he managed the career fields that serve as the primary contributors to the embassy-based Security Cooperation workforce.
From 2010 to 2011, he commanded Stability Transition Teams in Fallujah, Habbaniyah, and Ramadi, Iraq. He also served at the U.S. Embassy in Manama, Bahrain, and as the North Africa/Levant/Iran Branch Chief for the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) J2. In 2005, he deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with Joint Special Operations Task Force – Arabian Peninsula. In his early military career, he commanded Special Forces Detachments and served as an Infantry officer.
Mr. Larson speaks Arabic and holds a Bachelor of Science in Military History from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He holds graduate degrees in Middle East Studies and Strategic Studies, and is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Seminar XXI program.