Lt. Col. Pete Harrington previously served as the time-sensitive target officer and JAGIC chief for NATO Rapid Deployment Corps Spain in Valencia, Spain, regionally aligned as part of Regional Plan Center to support Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
Lt. Col. Harrington was born in Beverly, Massachusetts, and grew up in the neighboring city of Salem, home of the Salem witch trials. In 2003, he graduated from Salem High School in Salem, Massachusetts, and enrolled in the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the field artillery in May 2007 and attended the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
His first duty assignment was with 4th Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment (“King of the Herd”) at Bamberg, Germany, and he deployed to Logar, Afghanistan, in 2009. Following his time in the 173rd Airborne Brigade, he served as the battalion fire support officer for 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment (“Red Currahee”), deployed to Paktiya, Afghanistan, in 2013, and then commanded Carnage Battery, 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment (“Balls of the Eagle”) in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). Following battery command, Lt. Col. Harrington was selected for an Army fellowship for advanced education, where he got master’s degrees from Boston College. As a field-grade officer, Lt. Col. Harrington then served as a brigade fire support officer in 2nd Brigade (“Warhorse”), 4th Infantry Division; a battalion executive officer for 2nd Battalion (“Steel”), 77th Field Artillery Regiment; and the division artillery operations officer for 4th ID DIVARTY (“Ivy Gunners”) and deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 2019.
Lt. Col. Harrington’s military education includes the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course, the Maneuver Captain Career Course, and the Command and General Staff Officer Course. He holds a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science in finance from Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the United States Military Academy.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (second award), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (second award), the Army Commendation Medal (fourth award), the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Army Achievement Medal (fourth award), the Afghanistan Campaign Medal (fourth award), and the Spanish Tierra Cruz Blanco Meritorious Award. He has earned the Ranger Tab, Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder Badge and the Air Assault Badge.
Pete is married to the former Brietta Costa of Salem, Massachusetts. Together they have two sons, Benjamin, 12, and Theodore, 9.