Derrick Van Orden
U.S. Representative from WI, District 3
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Biography
Derrick Van Orden is a Republican U.S. Representative from Wisconsin's 3rd District, a retired Navy SEAL senior chief.
Derrick Francis Van Orden joined the U.S. Navy in 1988 at age 18 and completed Basic Underwater Demolition and SEAL training in 1992. He retired in 2014 as a Navy SEAL Senior Chief Petty Officer after 26 years of service, five combat deployments, and numerous missions to troubled regions worldwide. Van Orden also pursued an acting career, appearing in the motion picture Act of Valor and other films, and is a best-selling author. Now serving his second term, he represents Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District covering western Wisconsin including La Crosse, Eau Claire, and rural counties along the Mississippi River, after winning election in 2022. He sits on the House Agriculture and Veterans' Affairs committees and focuses on agriculture, dairy farming, and veterans issues. Van Orden was present at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, though he stated he did not enter the building.