William L. Peterson

William L. Peterson began his naval career through the Navy ROTC program at the University of Idaho, where he trained from 1988 to 1992 before commissioning as a Naval Officer. Upon entering active duty, he attended Naval Surface Warfare Officer School in Newport, Rhode Island, and was then assigned to the aircraft carrier USS America (CV-66) in Norfolk, Virginia.

As a Naval Surface Warfare Officer and Main Propulsion Division Officer aboard USS America, Peterson was responsible for a division of 142 sailors and engineering systems valued in the millions of dollars. He qualified as Officer of the Deck, where he was responsible for the safe navigation of the aircraft carrier, its air wing, and more than 6,000 personnel. During his time aboard, the ship operated in multiple combat and contingency operations, including Somalia, Haiti, Iraq, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was consistently ranked among the most effective and productive officers on board.

Following his sea duty, Peterson was selected to serve as a Naval Leadership Instructor at the Naval Leader Training Unit in Little Creek, Virginia. There, he served as Lead Instructor for the Basic Leadership Officer’s Course, teaching leadership, crisis management, conflict resolution, and management principles to more than 600 Naval Officers from all warfare specialties. He also led and managed an instructor team responsible for delivering leadership training to U.S. Naval forces in Europe.

Peterson’s military awards include the Navy Achievement Medal with Gold Star, NATO Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Navy Battle “E” Award, Southwest Asia Service Medal, and Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. He completed over six years of active naval service and was honorably released from active duty upon completion of his required service.

Throughout his naval career, leadership, responsibility, and mission accomplishment were central themes, whether managing sailors at sea, standing watch on the bridge of an aircraft carrier, or teaching the next generation of Naval Officers. As Peterson often emphasized, “Mission first and people always” was a guiding principle throughout his naval service. He left active duty in 1998 and transitioned into the FBI in 1999, starting a 23 years career there.