Don Shipley (Navy SEAL)

Don Shipley (born 1961) Is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL who runs a civilian, SEAL-training program, provides his expertise to media organizations, and exposes fraudulent claims of military service.

Military service
Don Shipley joined the United States Navy in 1978 and became a Navy SEAL in 1984 after graduating BUD/S class 131. Shipley served in SEAL Team One, SEAL Team Two, the Naval Special Warfare Center, Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S), and Naval Special Warfare Group Two (NSWG-2), NAB Little Creek, Virginia as a SEAL Advanced Training Instructor.

While serving with SEAL Team Two, Shipley conducted operations in Bosnia and Liberia. He became the first non-corpsman SEAL to graduate paramedic school. He served in eight SEAL Platoons, was Platoon Chief in five, and awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for Heroism during a Search and Rescue Mission.

Setting records for immense water and land demolition shots and running High Risk training courses, he served as an Explosive Expert instructing Police Departments across the country in Booby Traps and Improvised Explosive Devices. When not in a SEAL Platoon or deployed overseas, his time was spent running blocks of training for SEALs in air operations, land warfare, and demolitions.

He retired after 24 years as a SEAL Senior Chief in 2003.

Post-military life
After retirement Shipley worked as a Security Contractor for Blackwater Security Consulting, spending a year in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Shipley runs a training course with several former U.S. Navy SEALs called Extreme SEAL Experience which trains potential SEALs as well as individuals looking to make the challenge.

Don Shipley originally started Extreme SEAL Experience in 1992 for the United States Navy. It was designed to train Navy Sea Cadets for recruitment purposes. It later transformed into a full-program designed to prepare those interested in Naval Special Warfare for the intense nature of BUD/S training.

Shipley is a Special Guest Contributor at SOFREP.com, the site provides news and analysis from former military and Special Operations veterans. He states, "...the FBI estimates that there are 300 SEAL Impostors for every living Navy SEAL. Verifying at least a dozen and often over 20 fraudulent SEAL claims each day, I put the number much, much higher than 300." He estimates there are roughly 17,600 who have completed Naval Special Warfare training since 1943, about 10,000 of these are alive, and 2,400 of them on active duty.

Shipley is a film producer, known for Dorsal (2014), Secrets of SEAL Team Six (2011), and Inside Edition (1988).