Colonel Steven J. Anderson is Commander of the 688th Cyberspace Wing, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. In this capacity, he leads over 3,300 professional Airmen across four groups with 26 units at 15 locations worldwide. He ensures the readiness and employment of Airmen to build, operate, secure, defend and extend classified and unclassified networks through the employment of four cyberspace weapon systems and various engineering and expeditionary capabilities. He delivers resilient and integrated cyber infrastructure in garrison as well as in deployed environments; and directs the training, mobilization and deployment of Airmen, communications and computer systems to enable the combat effectiveness of combatant commanders, joint task forces and Air Force component headquarters contingency operations.
Colonel Anderson enlisted in the Air Force in 1993 and served as a ground radio maintenance technician while completing his undergraduate degree in management, computer information systems. He was commissioned in April 1999 as a distinguished graduate and Col. Dick Scobe leadership award recipient from Officer Training School. He then attended Basic Communications Officer Training at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi.
Colonel Anderson has served in various organizations and leadership positions at the squadron, group, wing, Numbered Air Force, agency, Air Staff, Joint, and Office of the Secretary of Defense. He is a graduated squadron and group commander.
EDUCATION
1998 Bachelor of Science, Computer Information Systems (Honors), Park College, Parkville, Mo.
1999 Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1999 BCOT, Keesler AFB, Miss.
2000 Master of Business Administration, Webster University, St. Louis, Mo.
2002 Warfighting Skills, U.S. Marine Corps, Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, by correspondence
2003 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2004 USMC Expeditionary Warfare School, Quantico Marine Corps Base, Va.
2006 Air Force Intern Program, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
2006 Master of Arts, Organizational Management, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
2006 USMC Command & Staff College, by correspondence
2008 Air Command & Staff College, by correspondence
2012 Air War College, by correspondence
2013 Master or Arts, Military Strategy, School of Advanced Air & Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2015 Joint Professional Military Education II, Norfolk, Va.
2016 National Security Fellow, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Cambridge, Mass.
2018 Leading Strategically Seminar, Center for Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
2018 Transnational Issues Seminar, Alan L. Freed Associates, Capital Hill Club, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 1999–April 1999, Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2. April 1999–August 1999, BCOT, Keesler AFB, Miss.
3. August 1999–March 2001, Flight Commander, 53th Combat Communications Squadron, Robins AFB, Ga.
4. March 2001–July 2003, Flight Commander, Group Executive and Wing Executive Officer, Incirlik AB, Turkey
5. July 2003–May 2004, Student, USMC Expeditionary Warfare School, Quantico MCB, Va.
6. May 2004–August 2004, Action Officer, Directorate of C&I, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
7. August 2004–May 2006, Air Force Intern, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
8. May 2006–June 2007, Deputy Commander, 380th Expeditionary CS, Al Dhafra AB, United Arab Emirates
9. July 2007–August 2008, 33S Assignment Officer, C&I Assignments Team, HQ AFPC, Randolph AFB, Texas
10. July 2008–August 2009, 17D Force Development Officer, C&I Assignments Team, HQ AFPC, Randolph AFB, Texas
11. August 2009–June 2010, Executive Officer to the 24th Air Force Commander, Lackland AFB, Texas
12. June 2010–June 2012, Commander, 3rd Combat Communications Support Squadron, Tinker AFB, Okla.
13. June 2012–June 2013, Student, School of Advanced Air & Space Studies, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
14. July 2013–June 2014, Branch Chief, Cyber Fires/Effects Integration and Future Operations, Camp Smith, Hawaii
15. June 2014–June 2015, Deputy Division Chief, Cyberspace Operations, Camp Smith, Hawaii
16. June 2015–June 2016, National Security Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, Mass.
17. June 2016–July 2017, Division Chief, Cyberspace Strategy & Policy, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
18. August 2017–June 2019, Commander, 318th Cyberspace Operations Group, JBSA-Lackland, Texas
19. June 2019–Present, Commander, 688th Cyberspace Wing, JBSA-Lackland, Texas
JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 2013–June 2015, Joint Cyber Center, U.S. Pacific Command, Camp Smith, Hawaii, as a lieutenant colonel
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal with four oak leaf clusters
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant April 9, 1999
First Lieutenant April 9, 2001
Captain Apr 9, 2003
Major Oct 1, 2008
Lieutenant Colonel Nov 1, 2012
Colonel May 1, 2017
PUBLICATIONS
Airpower Lessons for an Air Force Cyber-Power Targeting Theory, The Drew Papers No. 23, AU Press, September 2016
(Current as of December 2019)