Preparing Military Leaders for Peace Missions Through Cultural Intelligence
Client: United States Air Force
Industry: Government and Military
Initiative: Global Cultural Negotiation Simulation & Leadership Training
Challenge:
After repeated deployments in hostile territories, military leaders needed to shift gears—transitioning from combat-readiness to cultural sensitivity and diplomacy. The mission: prepare 20,000 U.S. and allied officers to negotiate, build trust, and foster positive relationships with local communities and allies during peacekeeping and stabilization efforts.
Solution:
The U.S. Air Force turned to Pegine and her company, Team Pegine, to create a high-stakes, fully immersive learning experience. Pegine designed and led a massive cultural negotiation simulation, transforming training grounds into realistic tribal villages, complete with actors in traditional dress, culturally appropriate food, and scripted scenarios.
Team Pegine:
- Developed scripts and scenarios for culturally nuanced negotiation and engagement.
- Hired and trained 50 professional role players and actors.
- Created realistic tribal centers for experiential learning.
- Delivered live training to 20,000 military officers and senior enlisted leaders from the U.S. and 20 allied nations.
Pegine’s interactive design allowed military personnel to practice communication, diplomacy, and respect in unpredictable, emotionally charged settings—before facing those situations in real life.
Results:
- âś… 97% of participants rated the training as extremely valuable
- 🌍 Senior leaders, including two generals, praised the realism and strategic relevance of Pegine’s work
- 🤝 Participants reported increased confidence and preparedness in handling cultural negotiations and post-conflict missions

Pegine Echevarria
You're gonna want to hear about Pegine - she's the leadership speaker and women's conference speaker that everyone is talking about! Her energy is electric and she knows how to get the audience pumped up with her perfect combo of content, charisma, comedy, chants, and connection-building.
Pegine Echevarria is the Authority on Women’s Strategic Presence and the creator of the GEMS™ Culture Transformation System. A Legend of the Speaking Profession, Hall of Fame motivational speaker, and SBA Entrepreneur of the Year for Florida, she helps organizations activate powerful women leaders, strengthen executive presence, and transform culture from the inside out. Through keynotes, multi-month engagements, and executive coaching, Pegine moves leaders from hesitation to visible, courageous action.