National Guard
Brigadier General DEREK N. LIPSON
  
Commanding General, United States Special Operations Command-Korea, United Nations Command Special Operations Component
Camp Humphreys, Pyeongtaek, Korea, APO AE
Since: July 2023
 Official Photo
SOURCE OF COMMISSIONED SERVICE  ROTC

EDUCATIONAL DEGREES
Midland Lutheran College - BA - Journalism
Kansas State University - MS - Adult and Continuing Education
United States Army War College - MSS - Strategic Studies

MILITARY SCHOOLS ATTENDED
Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses
United States Army Command and General Staff College
United States Army War College

FOREIGN LANGUAGE(S)  Spanish

PROMOTIONS DATE OF APPOINTMENT
2LT 10 May 90
1LT 30 May 93
CPT 1 Mar 98
MAJ 28 Mar 03
LTC 30 Jun 08
COL 10 Sep 12
BG 29 Jul 21

FROM TO ASSIGNMENT
Jul 23 Present Commanding General, United States Special Operations Command-Korea, United Nations Command Special Operations Component, Camp Humphreys, Pyeongtaek, Korea, APO AE
Feb 22 Jun 23 Deputy Commanding General, 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Jan 21 Feb 22 Deputy Commanding General, Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Oct 20 Jan 21 Special Assistant to the Director, Army National Guard for Operations, Plans, and Strategy, Arlington, Virginia
May 20 Sep 20 Special Assistant to the Special Operations Command Central Commander, MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Florida
Aug 18 May 20 Commander, Team Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Senior Military Advisor to the Saudi Led Coalition Joint Forces Command Commander, Special Operations Command Central (Airborne), Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Oct 15 Aug 18 Commander, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Birmingham, Alabama and OPERATION OBSERVANT COMPASS, Entebbee, Uganda
Jun 14 Sep 14 Deputy Commander, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Birmingham, Alabama
Feb 14 May 14 Commander, 2nd Afghan National Army Special Operations Command Brigade Advisory Team, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force–Afghanistan, Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, Shindand, Afghanistan
Jun 12 Jan 14 Deputy Commander, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Birmingham, Alabama
Nov 11 May 12 Commander, 1st Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Huntsville, Alabama
Mar 11 Oct 11 Commander, Special Operations Task Force-North, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Arabian Peninsula, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, COB Speicher, Iraq
Jun 09 Mar 11 Commander, 1st Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Huntsville, Alabama
Dec 08 May 09 Operations Officer, Special Operations Detachment–Central, MacDill Airforce Base, Tampa, Florida
Feb 08 Nov 08 Commander, Special Forces Iraq Transition Team, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Arabian Peninsula, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, Baghdad, Iraq
May 07 Jan 08 Operations Officer, Special Operations Detachment–Central, MacDill Airforce Base, Tampa, Florida
Aug 05 May 07 Commander, Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Ocala, Florida and Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, Tikrit, Iraq
Sep 02 Jul 05 S3, 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Starke, Florida
Jan 02 Aug 02 Assistant S3, 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Starke, Florida and Operation NOBLE EAGLE, Afghanistan
Jan 01 Dec 01 Executive Officer, Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Ocala, Florida
Jun 97 Dec 00 Commander, Operational Detachment-Alpha, Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Ocala, Florida
Jun 95 Jun 97 Assistant Commander, Operational Detachment-Alpha, Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Ocala, Florida
Nov 93 Jun 95 Operations Officer, 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Ocala, Florida
Dec 90 Nov 93 Platoon Leader, Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 134th Infantry (Mechanized), Auburn, Nebraska

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS DATE GRADE
Commanding General, United States Special Operations Command-Korea, United Nations Command Special Operations Component, Camp Humphreys, Pyeongtaek, Korea, APO AE Jul 23 - Present Brigadier General
Special Assistant to the Special Operations Command Central Commander, MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Florida May 20 - Sep 20 Colonel
Commander, Team Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Senior Military Advisor to the Saudi Led Coalition Joint Forces Command Commander, Special Operations Command Central (Airborne), Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Aug 18 - May 20 Colonel
Commander, 2nd Afghan National Army Special Operations Command Brigade Advisory Team, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force–Afghanistan, Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, Shindand, Afghanistan Feb 14 - May 14 Colonel
Commander, Special Operations Task Force-North, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Arabian Peninsula, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, COB Speicher, Iraq Mar 11 - Oct 11 Lieutenant Colonel
Commander, Special Forces Iraq Transition Team, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Arabian Peninsula, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, Baghdad, Iraq Feb 08 - Nov 08 Lieutenant Colonel

SUMMARY OF OPERATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS DATE GRADE
Commander, Team Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Senior Military Advisor to the Saudi Led Coalition Joint Forces Command Commander, Special Operations Command Central (Airborne), Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Aug 18 - May 20 Colonel
Commander, Special Operations Command-Forward Central Africa, Operation OBSERVANT COMPASS, Entebbee, Uganda Jun 16 - Aug 16 Colonel
Commander, 2nd Afghan National Army Special Operations Command Brigade Advisory Team, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force–Afghanistan, Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, Shindand, Afghanistan Feb 14 - May 14 Colonel
Commander, Special Operations Task Force-North, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Arabian Peninsula, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, COB Speicher, Iraq Mar 11 - Oct 11 Lieutenant Colonel
Commander, Special Forces Iraq Transition Team, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Arabian Peninsula, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, Baghdad, Iraq Feb 08 - Nov 08 Lieutenant Colonel
Commander, Advanced Operations Base-Tikrit, Special Operations Task Force-North, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Arabian Peninsula, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, Tikrit, Iraq Aug 06 - Mar 07 Major
Chief-Current Operations/Battle Captain, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan, Operation NOBLE EAGLE, Afghanistan Mar 02 - Sep 02 Captain

US DECORATIONS AND BADGES
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Bronze Star Metal (with 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal (with 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
Army Commendation Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Army Achievement Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster)
Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (with 1 Silver and 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
National Defense Service Medal (with Bronze Star)
Afghanistan Campaign Medal (with 2 Campaign Stars)
Iraq Campaign Medal (with 3 Campaign Stars)
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Silver Hourglass and “M” device)
Army Overseas Service Ribbon
Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon (with Numeral 4)
North Atlantic Treaty Organization Medal
Combat Infantryman Badge
Special Forces Tab
Senior Parachutist Badge
Military Freefall Parachutist Basic Badge

 

 

As of: 15 Apr 25

 

The date of publication indicated on this biography reflects the most recent update. It does not necessarily reflect the date of printing.