“I had seven seconds to decide.”

That’s how Commander Kirk Lippold described the moment a terrorist bomb tore a 40-foot hole in the USS Cole, killing 17 of his sailors and nearly sinking the ship.

As the commanding officer, he didn’t flinch. He got to work. Damage control. Sailor safety. Power restoration. In the chaos, the mission was simple: save the ship. And they did.

Today, Captain Lippold is still on a mission, this time to help the U.S. become energy independent, economically resilient, and globally competitive. He’s not chasing titles. He’s connecting the dots between national security, clean energy, and leadership that actually works.

What We Cover in This Episode

* How military decisions under pressure translate into private sector leadership

* Why energy independence is a national security issue

* What Washington is getting wrong about energy policy

* How veterans can lead this next chapter, not as figureheads, but as founders

* Lippold’s work mentoring veterans and supporting bipartisan energy solutions

From Naval Command to National Security Advisor

Captain Lippold didn’t leave leadership behind when he retired. He’s briefed Congress. Served on national security advisory boards. And now, he’s focused on the long game: helping veterans and energy leaders work together to build a secure, all-of-the-above energy future.

“It’s not just about the environment. It’s about national stability. About not being held hostage by foreign powers who control critical fuels or minerals.”

He’s especially passionate about building domestic supply chains, protecting U.S. critical infrastructure, and educating policymakers who’ve never worked a day in energy or worn a uniform.

Veterans as the Vanguard

One of the most powerful moments in this episode came when we discussed why veterans matter so much in this transition.

“Veterans aren’t partisan. They’re mission-driven. And the mission now is American energy independence.”

That’s the ethos we live by at Project Vanguard and Lippold brought it home. We’re not here to perform patriotism. We’re here to build.

Because we’ve seen what failure looks like.

If you want to understand what energy security really means or what true leadership under pressure sounds like, this is the episode.

It’s not polished. It’s real.

And if you’ve ever wondered what a next tour of duty could look like for veterans in America’s energy sector, listen to this.

Because the mission never stopped. It just changed shape.

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction02:08 – Commanding the USS Cole during a terrorist attack06:14 – The power of training, trust, and preparation10:17 – National security lessons applied to energy infrastructure14:00 – Grid resilience vs. grid reliability17:41 – What civilian energy planners can learn from military culture21:44 – Cybersecurity threats to the grid25:39 – How perception and misinformation shape vulnerability30:22 – Balancing decentralization with national security34:18 – Lessons from Pearl Harbor to PG&E38:47 – The role of leadership during uncertainty42:50 – Designing for the known unknowns47:35 – The human factor in system resilience51:58 – Final thoughts on energy, defense, and public trust

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