Paul K. Van Riper

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Paul K. Van Riper

LtGen Paul Van Riper
Allegiance	USMC
Years of service	1963-1997
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands	2nd Battalion, 7th Marines 4th Marine Regiment Marine Corps University, President 2nd Marine Division Director of Intelligence MCCDC
Battles/wars	Vietnam War Operation Desert Storm
Awards	Silver Star (2) Legion of Merit Bronze Star with Combat "V" Purple Heart
Other work	Marine Corps Heritage Foundation

Lieutenant General Paul K. Van Riper is a retired officer of the United States Marine Corps. Since retirement Van Riper has served on several advisory boards and panels. He is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation.

At the time of his retirement, Van Riper was serving as the Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Quantico, Virginia.

General Van Riper enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve and underwent recruit training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, in the fall of 1956. After completing infantry training in April 1957, he was released from active duty and returned home to serve in the 12th Infantry Battalion, USMCR, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from California University of Pennsylvania, California, Pennsylvania, in June 1963 and entered the 34th Officer Candidate Course. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in November 1963.

After completing The Basic School at Quantico, in June 1964, Van Riper reported to the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, Camp Lejeune. He served as a Platoon Commander, Company Executive Officer, and an Assistant Operations Officer. He was with the 1st Battalion when it was committed to Santo Domingo during the Dominican Republic crisis in the spring of 1965.

In late 1965, he was ordered to the Republic of Vietnam for duty as an Advisor with the Vietnamese Marine Corps. He was wounded in action on February 7, 1966, and was evacuated to the United States Naval Hospital in Philadelphia. After recovering from his wounds in April 1966, Van Riper returned to The Basic School as an instructor. Upon completion of his tour in February 1968, he remained at Quantico as a student in the Amphibious Warfare School.

Van Riper returned to Vietnam in September 1968, where he served as a Company Commander and an Assistant Operations Officer with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. Upon his return to the U.S. in September 1969, he was assigned as an instructor at the United States Army's John F. Kennedy Institute for Military Assistance at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was transferred to Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C., in July 1971, where he served initially as a Special Projects Officer in the Office of the Chief of Staff and then as a Training Specialist in the Training Division until August 1974.

Ordered to the 2nd Marine Division, Camp Lejeune in September 1974, he was assigned as the Operations Officer for the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines. He became the Regimental Operations Officer in September 1975, and the Executive Officer for the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines in December 1976. From August 1977 until June 1978, Van Riper was a student in the College of Naval Command and Staff at the Naval War College. Subsequently, he was assigned as a Military Observer with the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization in Palestine. During this tour he served in Egypt, Israel, and Lebanon.

Upon completion of his overseas tour in September 1979, Van Riper was assigned as the Commanding Officer, Marine Barracks, Naval Air Station, Cecil Field, Florida, until July 1981. From August 1981 until June 1982, he was a student at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Transferred to the 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, in June 1982, he served as the Regimental Executive Officer until May 1983, when he assumed command of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines. In August 1984, he was assigned to the Exercise, Readiness and Training Branch of the G-3 Section, I Marine Amphibious Force.

Van Riper was transferred to the 3rd Marine Division on Okinawa in June 1985, where he commanded the 4th Marines until December 1986. He served as the Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3, 3rd Marine Division from December 1986 until reassigned as the Division Chief of Staff in June 1987.

During July 1988, Van Riper returned to Quantico, where he was assigned until July 1989 as the Director of the Command and Staff College. He became the first President of the Marine Corps University in July 1989. In July 1990, he was assigned as the Deputy Commander for Training and Education and Director, Marine Air-Ground Training and Education Center, MCCDC. Van Riper served temporarily as a member of the MARCENT/I Marine Expeditionary Force staff during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm from January to March 1991.

From June 1991, to April 1993, he was the Commanding General, 2nd Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Returning to Washington, D.C., Van Riper served as Assistant Chief of Staff, Command, Control, Communications, and Computer and as Director of Intelligence from April 1993 until July 1995. He was advanced to Lieutenant General and assumed his last post on July 13, 1995.

He is a graduate of the U.S. Army's Airborne and Ranger Schools.

General Van Riper's personal decorations include: the Silver Star Medal with gold star; Legion of Merit; Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V"; Purple Heart; Meritorious Service Medal; Joint Service Commendation Medal; Army Commendation Medal; Navy Achievement Medal; and the Combat Action Ribbon with gold star.

He is critical of the current transformation efforts in the military, especially changes originating from Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. He gained notoriety after he claimed that the Millennium Challenge 2002 wargame, in which he played the opposing force commander, was "fixed" to falsely validate these transformation efforts. He is also critical of post-war Iraq plans and implementation. On April 24, 2006, he joined several other retired generals in calling for Rumsfeld's resignation. [1]