Colonel Andy Anderson was born in Albany, Ga. in July 1951 and raised in Washington, GA. He began his military service with an Army ROTC scholarship at the University of Georgia in 1969. He was commissioned in the Engineer Corps in 1975 after earning both a bachelor’s and an MBA at Georga. Colonel Anderson’s first assignment was as a mechanized combat engineer platoon leader and company executive officer in Neu Ulm, Germany from 1976-1980.           

His next assignments took him to Fort Bragg, NC where he served as a company commander in the 82nd Airborne Division, Ft Bragg and then began his journey with special operations. Andy joined the 5th Special Forces Group in 1982 where he served as the Group Engineer, and “New Equipment Officer.” He completed the SF "Q" Course in 1983. Engineer Branch then sent him to Univ of Iowa to teach Army ROTC. At that time, the SF Branch was established, and Major Anderson was one of the first “SF Tabbed” officers to volunteer to change branches to the new “SF Branch”.

After completing Army CGSC, he returned to Ft Bragg as the commander of Company A, 3rd Battalion, 5th SFG(A) which was promptly reflagged to 3^rd SF Group where he served as the Bn XO during Desert Storm. He later served as Chief of Operations and G3 at US Army Special Forces Command. He served as battalion commander of 2nd Battalion (Advanced Skills), 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne), U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School from 1992 to 1994. He then served as the USASOC Deputy G3 through June 1995.

He attended the Air War College and returned to Fort Bragg in 1997, serving as the chief of staff of the JFK Special Warfare Center and School. In 1999 he took command of the 1st Special Warfare Training Group (A) and executed significant changes resulting in the re-design / growth of the Special Forces Assessment and Selection and the Special Forces Qualification Course.  Remaining at SWCS after command he was the director of training and doctrine.  His final operational assignment was as the J3 of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa in Djibouti, Africa in support of the Global War on Terror. He retired after 30 years of continuous active service on 1 Nov, 2005, with numerous US and foreign awards and decorations.

Upon retirement, he joined the Board of Directors for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF) in 2006. He served as an active BOD member for 13 years and currently serves as an Ambassador for SOWF.

He was named a distinguished member of the Special Forces Regiment Hall of Fame in 2012 and is the recipient of the USSOCOM “Patriot Award” in 2012 for “Significant and enduring support to SOCOM’s Wounded Warriors and their Families”. 

He is the recipient of the Mountain Man Award presented during the annual “Old and Bold” society event in Dec 2019. 

He has been involved in many charities supporting SOF and their families. He is particularly proud of his efforts supporting the creation of the “Horse Soldier” monument in NYC at the 9-11 Memorial and the French Resistance and the OSS Jedburgh monument in Normandy France.

COL (retired) “Andy” Anderson has spent his entire adult life supporting the soldiers and families of this great nation. He and his wife Jan were married in 1975 and remain a true Army team. They stay active in their hometown of Washington, GA where Andy is an elected member of the City Council and maintains a “Safe House” for any SOF veterans.