Col. Anderson enlisted in the Air Force in 1987, graduating from Survival Instructor Training at Fairchild Air Force Base (AFB), WA. He served in that capacity for over 15 years, including assignments in Japan, Texas and California.  Notably, while at Edwards AFB, CA he served as the NCOIC of Operations, Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC), Test Parachute Program responsible for conducting Developmental Testing on the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System, hermetically sealed thin- pack parachutes and jump platform certification of the C-17 and C-130J, serving as the jump master on the first-ever C-17 mass tactical jump. Col Anderson commissioned through Officer Training School at Maxwell AFB and the Air Force Communications Officer Course at Keesler AFB, MS in 2002. The Colonel served as a cyber officer for 10 years, including assignments in Arizona, Hawaii, Qatar, New Mexico and Colorado. In that capacity he specialized in Air Operations Center (AOC) Command and Control (C2) systems with his cyber career culminating as Test Director, Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC) Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) systems. During his assignment at AFOTEC he deployed, leading a team responsible for building and operating coalition communication networks across the Afghanistan Area of Responsibility.  In 2012 he was selected for the Tactical Air Control Party officer (TACP-O) program.

As a TACP officer, he served as Brigade (BDE) ALO, 4^th BDE, 4^th Infantry Division, Fort Carson Colorado, NATO Air Planner, and Director of Operations (DO) for the 807^th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron (EASOS) – Afghanistan; Senior ALO for OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE – Kuwait; Branch Chief, Air Combat Command (ACC) Plans, Programs and Requirements; Commander, 353d Special Warfare Training Squadron (SWTS), Lackland AFB, Texas; Division Chief, Special Warfare Training and Readiness, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. Prior to his current assignment he was the Contingency Plans Branch Chief, J5 Plans Division, Strategy, Engagement and Programs Directorate, U.S. Africa Command.

Col. Anderson is originally from Grand Marais, MN, and has been married to the former Julie Ann Dykstra of Randolph, Wisconsin for over 32 years. Julie is a proud Air Force veteran, an Aircrew Intelligence Specialist who deployed for eight months in support of OPERATION DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM in 1990-1991. After the Air Force Julie has gone on to a successful career with a Masters in Dietetics specializing in endurance athletics.

EDUCATION
1996 Associates in Applied Science, Survival and Rescue Operations, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala
2002 Bachelor of Science, Information Systems Management, Park University, Parkville, MO
2003 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala
2005 Masters of Business Administration, Park University, Parkville, MO
2007 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base Ala
2016 Masters of Operational Arts and Science, Air University, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala
2018 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence

ASSIGNMENTS or CAREER CHRONOLOGY

1. April 1987-December 1987, Student, Survival Instructor Training Course, 3614^th Combat Crew Training Squadron, Fairchild AFB, WA
2. January 1988-July 1990, Survival Instructor, 3612^th CCCTS, Fairchild AFB, WA
3. August 1990-March 1994, Survival Instructor, 374^th Tactical Airlift Wing, Yokota AB, Japan
4. April 1994-August 1999 Survival Instructor and Test Parachutist, 374^th Operations Support Squadron, AFFTC, Edwards AFB, CA
5. September 1999-August 2002, Survival Instructor and NCOIC, Parachute Operations, U.S. School of Aerospace Medicine, Brooks, AFB, TX
6. September 2002-June 2005, Flight Commander, 355^th Communications Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ
7. June 2005-July 2008, Flight Commander, AOC Systems, 56^th Air and Space Communications Squadron and Branch Chief, Plans and Integration Division, 613^th AOC, Hickam, HI (with deployed duties to Combat Plans Division, Combined AOC, Al Udeid AB, Qatar).
8. August 2008-September 2009, Test Director, Three-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range RADAR and AOC Systems, AFOTEC Detachment 3, Kirtland AFB, NM
9. October 2009-February 2012, Test Director, Family of AEHF systems, AFOTEC Detachment 4, Peterson AFB CO (with deployed duties as, OIC, Communications & Engineering, Task Force 236, J6 Directorate, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan).
10. 7. March 2012-November 2012, Student, Tactical Air Control Party ALO Pipeline, Hurlburt Field, FL
11. 8. December 2012-June 2015, Division ALO/Flight Commander, 13^th ASOS, Fort Carson, (with deployed duties as Director of Operations, 807^th Expeditionary ASOS, Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, and Senior Air Planner, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait)
12. 12. July 2015-June 2016, Student, Air Command & Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala
13. 13. July 2016-May 2018, Chief, Ground C2 Weapons Systems Branch and Deputy, C2 Weapons Systems Division, HQ ACC/A5Y, Langley AFB, VA
14. June 2018-May 2020, Commander, 353d Special Warfare Training Squadron, Lackland AFB, TX
15. June 2020-July 2022, Division Chief, Special Warfare Directorate, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, HQ Air Force
16. July 2024-Present, Commander, 18^th Air Support Operations Group, Pope AFB, NC

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS [officer only]

1. August 2022-June 2024, Chief, Contingency Plans Branch and Deputy Division Chief, J5 Plans Division, Strategy, Engagement and Programs Directorate, U.S. Africa Command.

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Joint Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal
AF Good Conduct Medal with five oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with one service star
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with three service stars
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Air and Space Force Expeditionary Service Medal with Gold Border and two oak leaf clusters
Non-Article 5 NATO Medal (International Security Assistance Forces)

(Current as of june 2024)