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Commander Kirk Lippold, USN (Ret) was the Commanding Officer of the USS Cole when it came under a suicide terrorist attack by al Qaeda in the port of Aden, Yemen. During his command, he and his crew distinguished themselves by saving the American war ship from sinking. This event is widely recognized as one of the most brazen acts of terrorism by al Qaeda prior to September 11, 2001. With this unique and invaluable experience, Commander Lippold has briefed over 10,000 military officers, 3,000 federal and state law enforcement officers, and given over 500 presentations on this seminal event in the war on terrorism.
Into addition to his distinguished service as the Commanding Officer of USS Cole, Commander Kirk Lippold, USN (Ret) had numerous at-sea assignments including Executive Officer of USS Shiloh, an Aegis-class guided missile cruiser and commissioning Operations Officer on USS Arleigh Burke, the Navy's first Aegis guided missile destroyer. He had two division officer assignments, including a tour on USS Yorktown, an Aegis class guided missile cruiser where he completed a lengthy seven-and-a-half-month deployment to the Mediterranean, where he participated in the Achille Lauro aircraft seizure, Black Sea Freedom of Navigation operations against the Soviet Union, and Attain III combat operations in the Gulf of Sidra off Libya that followed several Libyan sponsored terrorist attacks in Europe. His initial division officer tour was in USS Fairfax County, a tank landing ship, where he completed a deployment to Beirut, Lebanon, in support of the U.S. Marine Corps and the Multinational Peacekeeping Force when terrorists attacked the American Embassy, killing seventeen Americans and severely damaging the building.
Commander Lippold graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and received his commission in the Navy in 1981. His shore duty assignments included the Navy Postgraduate School, the Army's Command and General Staff College, and the Joint Forces Staff College. He also served as the Administrative Aide to the Secretary of the Navy. He subsequently served on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Directorate for Strategic Plans and Policy (J-5), where he crafted detainee policy for the war on terrorism following the 9/11 attacks. His last assignment was in the International Strategy Division in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (N5IS). Commander Lippold retired from the Navy in June 2007.
Commander Kirk Lippold's personal awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (three awards), Meritorious Service Medal (three awards), Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Commendation Medal (two awards), Joint Service Achievement Medal, Navy Achievement Medal (two awards), in addition to various campaign and service ribbons.
Commander Lippold is the founder and president of Lippold Strategies, LLC; a consulting firm specializing in executive leadership development, crisis management, and national security affairs. He is an exclusive speaker with Keppler Speakers and serves on the Board of Directors for HELP22, a veteran's suicide prevention advocacy organization. He has testified before Congress on national security and energy issues and has also appeared on numerous domestic and international news networks speaking about critical national security issues including the Ukraine conflict, radical Islamic terrorist groups, the October 7th attacks on Israel, Guantanamo Bay, and the challenges faced by the U.S. with China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
