Colonel Randall Larsen, USAF (Retired)

Randy Larsen is the CEO of Randall Larsen Presents.  His most recent documentary film, Black Hawk Down: The Untold Story, was released on Veterans Day 2018.The film documents the heroic actions of the soldiers from Task Force 2-14 of the 10th Mountain Division in support of United Nations humanitarian operations. During pre-release screenings in October 2018, the film received rave reviews at MIPCOM in Cannes, the Army Heritage and Education Center, and the National Defense University. The world premiere of “The Director’s Cut” was hosted by the Army/Navy Club in Washington, DC on March 29, 2019. 

On June 14, 2017, the chief scientist at the Food and Drug Administration hosted the premiere of Larsen’s previous film, Operation Whitecoat.  This film tells the story of 2,300 conscientious objectors who participated in U. S. Army biodefense medical experiments during the cold war.  

Larsen’s other films include: If Not Me, Then Who? (the story of Dr. Lewis Rubinson’s experience in a Sierra Leone hospital during the Ebola outbreak of 2014), Wounded Warrior Resilience (premiered at the Newseum in Washington, DC during the 10th Anniversary Commemoration of 9/11 and won the Audience Favorite Award at the 2011 Virginia Film Festival), and Faster Vaccines (a film produced for a Congressional commission in 2009). For more details on his films, see:  www.randalllarsenpresents.com

In addition to his work in documentary films, Larsen currently serves as the national security advisor at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security (since 2004) and as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.  

Larsen has served in a wide variety of national security and homeland security positions:

  • > department chairman and professor at the National War College (1998-2000)
  • > founding director of the ANSER Institute of Homeland Security (2000-2003)
  • > expert witness (domestic intelligence) at the first hearing of the 9/11 Commission
  • > expert witness at more than a dozen Congressional hearings (2001-2011)
  • > employee, analyst and on-camera commentator CBS News (2001-2007)
  • > co-host, Homeland Security: Inside and Out, WAMU, Washington, DC (2006-2008)
  • > author, Our Own Worst Enemy, Grand Central, 2007
  • > executive director of the bipartisan Congressional Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism (2009-2010)
  • > along with former Senators Bob Graham (D-FL) and Jim Talent (R-MO), founded Bipartisan WMD Terrorism Research Center and served as the executive director (2010-2013)

Colonel Randall Larsen, USAF (ret) served in both the Army and Air Force for a combined total of 32 years of active duty military service. His military flying career began as a 19-year old helicopter pilot in the 101st Airborne Division where he flew 400 combat missions in Vietnam. He also served as military attaché at the US Embassy in Bangkok, the chief of legislative liaison at the US Transportation Command, and the commander of America’s fleet of VIP aircraft at Andrews AFB MD. His decorations include the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, and 17 awards of the Air Medal (3 with “V” Device for Valor).