Media gallery

Fellow in Residence

Lieutenant General Dana K. Chipman
The Judge Advocate General, U.S. Army

March 20, 2013

Lieutenant General Dana Chipman, The Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Army, spoke on legal issues that face the military in his public address: “Combat Boots and Benefits: Equality in an Era of Change,” on March 20, 2013. He presented the progress and obstacles for social issues such as same sex benefits, an environment safe from sexual assault, women in combat, and religious accommodations in grooming.

As President Smolla reminded us in his preface to Lieutenant General Chipman’s remarks, the Constitution offers opportunity for public debate on fundamental questions that go to the core of our identity.  What does equality mean, and how is that translated and interpreted in how it applies to our armed forces?

Lieutenant General Chipman spoke about how the military is responding to these issues, and in fact leading social change in many ways.  The event was recorded by C-Span and you may click here to view.

Highlights of his visit

Although LTG Chipman was on campus for only 24 hours, he had several opportunities to engage with students:

  • Spoke to 50 Army ROTC cadets from Furman University and North Greenville College
  • Enjoyed breakfast at Stax with students
  • Shared conversation and lunch with members of the Riley Institute Advance Team
  • Provided his perspective and took questions about  “What is a just war?” from Dr. Brent Nelsen’s Battlestar Galactica freshman seminar class

About Lieutenant Chipman

Initially commissioned in the Infantry after graduating from West Point in 1980, he earned a Juris Doctor degree from Stanford Law School in 1986. He also holds a Master of Laws in Military Law degree from The Judge Advocate General’s School and a Master of Strategic Studies degree from the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks.

Lieutenant General Chipman has served as a judge advocate in a variety of operational and staff assignments, including 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment – Delta (Airborne), Joint Special Operations Command, U.S. Special Operations Command, and U.S. Central Command. In 2001 and 2002, he deployed as the legal advisor to a Joint Special Operations Task Force for Operation ENDURING FREEDOM in Afghanistan. As a general officer, he commanded The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School in Charlottesville, Virginia, before assuming his current duties on October 1, 2009. Lieutenant General Chipman is married with three children.