Paul K. Van Riper (born July 5, 1938) is a retired United States Marine Corps officer. When he retired, he was serving as the Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Quantico, Virginia.
He gained notoriety from the Millennium Challenge 2002 wargame. He played the Red Team opposing force commander and sank a carrier battle group with an inferior team in two days, declaring the wargame fixed to falsely validate U.S. Navy doctrine.
Marine Corps career
The Marine Corps University documents his full service career. Here are some salient parts.
Van Riper enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve, training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina in 1956, joined Officer Candidate Course in June 1963, and commissioned as second lieutenant in 1963.
In 1965, Van Riper served in Vietnam as an Advisor with the Vietnamese Marine Corps, was wounded while attacking a NVA machine gun in a rice paddy outside Saigon, and evacuated in 1966. He later served in Egypt, Israel, Lebanon and Okinawa. He commanded 3rd Battalion, Seventh Marines, First Marine Division (Mike Company) in South Vietnam during 1968, later, stateside, as the Battalion Commander of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment from 1983 to 1985, and later the 4th Marines until 1986.
He served temporarily as a member of the MARCENT/I Marine Expeditionary Force during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1991.
In Washington, D.C., he served as Assistant Chief of Staff, Command, Control, Communications, and Computer and as Director of Intelligence from 1993 to 1995. He advanced to Lieutenant General, assumed his last post in July 1995 and retired in 1997 after over 41 years of service.
He was decorated with Navy Distinguished Service Medal at his retirement ceremony.
Since retirement Van Riper has served on several advisory boards and panels. He is the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation.
Post-retirement
In the Millenium Challenge, against far superior forces, he and his team adopted an asymmetric strategy. In particular, they used old methods to evade the Blue Team’s sophisticated electronic surveillance network such as motorcycle messengers to send orders to front-line troops, WWII light signals to launch planes without radio communications, and a fleet of small boats to determine the position of the opponent’s fleet.
They preemptively launched a massive salvo of cruise missiles that overwhelmed the Blue forces’ sensors, destroying an aircraft carrier, ten cruisers, and five of six amphibious ships—simulating deaths of over 20,000 personnel. They “sank” another significant portion of the Blue navy with a fleet of small boat attacks, both conventional and suicide, capitalizing on Blue’s inability to detect them.
He is also critical of plans for the occupation of Iraq and their implementation following the Iraq War. In 2006 he joined several other retired generals in calling for then Secretary of Defense and Iraq War architect Donald Rumsfeld’s resignation
Initiative
As podcast host, I’m taking the liberty of sharing Rip’s review of my book, Initiative: A Proven Method to Bring Your Passions to Life (and Work). He wrote:
Whether leading or following, you need to read Initiative. I have long yearned for such a book—the most clear and persuasive on personal development and leadership I’ve found in 60 years of adulthood. Spodek’s focus on initiative and reflection matches what I found important serving in and leading organizations from a few people to over 15,000 Marines and Sailors. He illustrates key ideas with meaningful examples and helpful practical exercises. It’s lucid, succinct, easy to read, and deeply profound. It has earned a prominent place in my library.