Lieutenant Colonel Mike Anderson is currently the commander of the 1st Special Operations Communications Squadron at Hurlburt Field, FL.  He leads 242 personnel providing fixed and tactical communications, and airfield systems support to 2 Wings, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, and 38 tenant units.

Lt Col Anderson was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1970, and grew up 20 minutes away in the town of Hempstead.  After graduating from high school in 1988, he went to Boston University where he earned a 4 year ROTC scholarship.  He was a distinguished graduate and was commissioned in 1992.  After tech school at Biloxi AFB, MS, he was assigned to Peterson AFB, CO to support Air Force Space Command and key space and missile warning systems for Cheyenne Mountain AFB. 

In 1996 he was assigned to Headquarters Eighth Air Force in the 608 Air Communications Squadron, 8 AF’s tactical communications squadron.  There he deployed in support of Operation SOUTHERN WATCH, commanded the maintenance flight (the largest flight in the squadron), and earned HQ 8 AF Company Grade Officer of the Year honors.

In 1999 he was specially selected for the Joint Communications Unit (JCU), a special operations unit at Fort Bragg, NC.  He commanded the rapid-response elements, deploying on multiple short-notice classified missions.  He also successfully completed the 82nd Airborne Division’s Jumpmaster course, and became a Senior Parachutist.  After the September 11th attacks, then Captain Anderson deployed as the forward JCU commander.  He led multi-service personnel in 5 different countries and shipboard to support a myriad of complex combat operations, earning the Bronze Star.

After JCU, he was assigned to the Air Mobility Warfare Center (now the Expeditionary Center) on Fort Dix, NJ.  There he was promoted to Major, was made the Deputy Director of Resources responsible for all the mission support related activities for the complex, earned Distinguished Graduate at Advanced Communications-Computer Officer Training, and graduated with distinction from Rutgers University with a Masters of History.  In 2005 he was selected for the Air Force Office of Lessons Learned where he deployed in support of Hurricane Katrina operations, and to the Combined Air Operations Center in Qatar.  He also earned Action Officer of the Year honors twice for the organization.

Lieutenant Colonel Mike Anderson is married to the former Sara Ruth Bluestone and has two children, Marcus Henry (5) and Erin Estelle (2 ½).