Hawk Carlisle

Gen. Herbert J. “Hawk” Carlisle has served on the SAG since June 2022. 

He had a distinguished 39-year career in the U.S. Air Force, from which he retired as a four-star general in March 2017. His last assignment was as commander, Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.

Before that, Carlisle was the commander of Pacific Air Forces; the air component commander for U.S. Pacific Command; and executive director of Pacific Air Combat Operations staff, Joint Base Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

He served in various operational and staff assignments throughout the U.S. Air Force and commanded a fighter squadron, an operations group, two wings and a numbered air force.

Carlisle graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics. He received a master’s degree in business administration in 1988 from Golden Gate University of San Francisco. He completed studies at the Squadron Officer School, the F-15 Fighter Weapons Instructor Course, Air Command and Staff College, Armed Forces Staff College, and Army War College. He also has studied national security management at Syracuse University, international relations at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and national and international security at George Washington University.

Prior to joining AeroVironment’s SAG, Carlisle was the president and chief executive officer of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) from June 2017 to April 2022.