 Based on that assessment, Winter determined that Lippold was "...not the best and fully qualified for promotion to the higher grade..." of Captain and struck him from being further eligible for promotion.Lippold's final U.S. Navy assignment was to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations in the International Strategy Division.He retired as a commander in May 2007 at the age of 48 during a ceremony at the United States Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Lippold is a senior military fellow with Military Families United, an advocacy group opposed to the release of prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base.