About the Author

Van Hipp is Chairman of American Defense International, Inc. (ADI), a Washington, DC based consulting firm specializing in government affairs, business development and public relations.

From 1986 to 1989, Van Hipp served as the Chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party and served as a member of the Presidential Electoral College in 1988. In 1990, Van Hipp was sworn in as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Reserve Forces and Mobilization) and served in this position during Operation Desert Shield/Storm. Following the "Tailhook Scandal," Hipp was named by Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney to be the Principal Deputy General Counsel of the Navy. He served in this capacity until January 1993.

A veteran of the U.S. Army, Hipp speaks on defense issues at public forums across the country, and his articles on defense and international policy have been widely read in the national print media. Hipp has appeared on the Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CNN and other networks as an expert commentator on the War on Terror, defense and national security issues.

Hipp received his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Wofford College, and is a past President of the National Alumni Association. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law. In 2011, Hipp was instrumental in organizing the Commander-in-Chief Debate at Wofford College, the first foreign policy and national security Republican presidential debate, which was sponsored by CBS News and National Journal.

He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American Conservative Union and The National Capitol Board of The Salvation Army. He is also on the board of the Palmetto Policy Forum and is a member of the Committee on the Present Danger.

Van Hipp is married to the former Jane Grote of Nashville, Tennessee, and they have three children: Trey, Sarah Camille, and Jackson. Van and his family split their time between Alexandria, VA and Georgetown, SC.