The general transferred to Headquarters Strategic Air Command at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, in September 1961 and served as a member of the European Force Application Team, Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff. In September 1963 he entered the Air Command and Staff College. Upon graduation Lawson returned to Strategic Air Command Headquarters and was assigned as an operations planner in the Concepts Division, Operations Plans Directorate. He graduated from the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, in 1964 and concurrently earned a master of public administration degree from The George Washington University, Washington D.C. He became chief of the Future Concepts Branch in February 1967 and entered the National War College in July 1968. He completed the National War College at Fort Lesley J. McNair in 1969.[2]
Lawson was assigned in July 1971 to Headquarters United States Air Force, Washington D.C., in the Directorate of Operations, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations, with duty as chief, Strategic Division, and, in July 1972, was named deputy director for strategic operational forces. In February 1973 he became deputy director of operations.[2]
After his retirement, he began to work in the private sector, including positions as the president and CEO of the National Mining Association.[5][6] He died 20 January 2020.[7]
