Latest news with #DerrickAnderson
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Green Beret nominated to top Pentagon position to oversee special ops
A former Army Special Forces officer who was in charge of a team involved in a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan was nominated as the Pentagon's head of special operations. Derrick Anderson was nominated Monday by President Donald Trump to serve as assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict, according to a notice on His nomination was referred to the Senate Armed Services Committee for consideration. If confirmed to the largely bureaucratic position, Anderson would oversee administrative and policy issues that apply to special operations and irregular warfare units and advise the secretary of defense and other senior civilian leaders on issues like equipment, readiness and training for the force. While a captain in the Army in 2014, Anderson was the commander of a Special Forces team in Afghanistan from the 5th Special Forces Group at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. On June 9, 2014, his team and allied Afghan soldiers engaged in a firefight with the Taliban that ended in a wayward American airstrike that killed five U.S. soldiers and one Afghan. A U.S. Central Command investigation found that miscommunication and a lack of proper protocols among Anderson, his tactical air controller and the crew of the B-1B bomber that dropped the bombs led to the friendly fire. In a later interview with 60 Minutes about the incident, Anderson disputed that his leadership was at fault in the strike. A classified report on the strike obtained by 60 Minutes found that a central cause was the inability of the B-1's sensors to detect the strobe lights worn by the Green Berets on their equipment — an issue that neither the bomber's crew nor the ground team were aware of. 'I'm the commander of this team. This is my team. I miss my guys tremendously. But at the end of the day there's nothing that myself or my Team Sergeant did that day or failed to do that day that caused that incident to happen,' he told 60 Minutes. 'We made the decisions that we thought were best at the time on the ground for the guys that were getting shot at.' In 2024, Anderson also ran for a Congressional House seat in Virginia as a Republican but lost to Democratic candidate Eugene Vindman. Anderson grew up in Virginia and attended Virginia Tech on an Army ROTC scholarship, according to a Special Operations Association of America bio page. He went on to become an infantry officer, went to Ranger School and became a platoon leader in Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division. He served on a 13-month tour during the 2007 'Iraq surge.' He also oversaw burial and memorial ceremonies with the 3rd Infantry Regiment in Arlington National Cemetery. After leaving the military, he attended law school at Georgetown University and clerked for three federal judges, according to his LinkedIn page. Navy SEAL Team 6 operator will be the military's new top enlisted leader Veterans receiving disability payments might have been underpaid, IG finds Guam barracks conditions are 'baffling,' Navy admiral says in email Navy fires admiral in charge of unmanned systems office after investigation The Pentagon wants troops to change duty stations less often
Boston Globe
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Army and Air Force libraries are ordered to review books for DEI material
The memos suggest that any removal of books will only happen after the initial lists are reviewed more closely. That slower pace may reflect a desire to be more careful about what books are pulled from shelves after the Navy faced criticism over some of those it removed. Advertisement Books on the Holocaust, histories of feminism, civil rights and racism, as well as Maya Angelou's famous autobiography, 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,' were among the 381 books that were removed from the U.S. Naval Academy's Nimitz Library. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The Army memo was sent to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, the Army War College in Pennsylvania and several other service departments. It says they must review their collections and any books promoting DEI, gender ideology and critical race theory 'in a manner that subverts meritocracy and unity' must be removed 'pending additional guidance.' The memo — signed by Derrick Anderson, acting assistant Army secretary for manpower — says a list must be provided to the Army's chief librarian by Wednesday. The order also applies to libraries under the authority of the Army's Training and Doctrine Command, Army Special Operations Command and the Army Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School. Advertisement The Air Force memo, meanwhile, directs the Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, Colorado, to review all of its titles for anything related to DEI, gender ideology and critical race theory. The school must provide an interim list by April 30 and a final list by May 30. That memo was signed by Gwendolyn DeFilippi, the acting assistant secretary for manpower, and did not specify other libraries within the Air Force. The three military academies had not been included in President Donald Trump's executive order in January that banned DEI instruction, programs or curriculum in kindergarten through 12th grade in schools that receive federal funding. That is because the academies are colleges. But when Pentagon leaders realized that gap, they initially ordered the Naval Academy to review and remove books and soon after gave the same directive to the other services. In a statement, the Air Force said the academy is 'conducting a deliberate review' of the library to comply with department policies. Army Col. Terry Kelley, West Point spokesman, said the school 'will complete the directed review with the utmost professionalism and efficiency.' Hegseth has aggressively pushed the department to erase DEI programs and online content, but the campaign has been met with questions from angry lawmakers, local leaders and citizens over the removal of military heroes and historic mentions from Defense Department websites and social media pages. In response, the department has scrambled to restore some of those posts as their removals have come to light. Advertisement
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Six local organisations honoured by the King at glittering ceremony
SIX community organisations have been recognised by His Majesty, the King for their contribution to the Dudley borough. The King's Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to local volunteering groups in the UK, equivalent to an MBE, and is awarded for life. Of the 19 organisations receiving the award across the West Midlands, more than one third were from Dudley. Halesowen in Bloom, Access in Dudley and Friends of Saltwells Nature Reserve all received awards, along with We Love Carers, Black Country Mental Health and The Black Country Blokes CIC. Six community organisations have been recognised by His Majesty, the King for their contribution to the Dudley borough (Image: Friends of Saltwells Nature Reserve) The awards were presented by the Lord-Lieutenant for the West Midlands, Derrick Anderson CBE, at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Birmingham on Sunday, April 6. Councillor Hilary Bills attended the event and became the first Mayor in the West Midlands to collect an award herself, as she accepted on behalf of Halesowen in Bloom. She said: 'I would like to send my warmest congratulations to all six organisations on receiving such a prestigious accolade from His Majesty the King. 'To have six of the 19 organisations recognised across the whole West Midlands come from our borough is a real testament to the work being done by volunteers here. 'It is a fitting tribute to their dedication and efforts in helping local people.' Chair of Friends of Saltwells Nature Reserve, Les Drinkwater, spoke of his delight at the group picking up their award. He said: "We were enormously proud to receive the Award, on behalf of all the volunteers that help to maintain Saltwells National Nature Reserve as the special gem it is in the heart of the community in Dudley borough. "It is an honour for us to play our part in conserving this site of national importance for future generations, but also to welcome in as wide a range of people as possible to enjoy this amazing place, learn a little more about how special it is and benefit from spending time in nature, right on their doorstep. "To be recognised with such a prestigious award is fantastic and I couldn't be more proud."
BBC News
06-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
West Midlands King's Awards recognise volunteers helping others
Volunteers in areas including conservation, care and mental health support are being award for their contributions. Nineteen community groups from across the West Midlands will be presented with a King's Award for Voluntary Service on Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands Derrick Anderson said it was to recognise "the many wonderful people who give their precious time to others".The organisations being recognised are based in Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and elsewhere in the Black Country. Among recipients will be Black Country Blokes, which supports the mental health of men in the group offers a podcast, radio slot, daily boxing and fitness classes and a Thought for the Day on social media, and evolved from founder Kevin Dillon's plans to create a boxing gym where men could open up about their problems and fears."Their approach works and makes talking and connecting accessible," the lieutenancy said. Friends of Di's Kitchen, which delivers meals in Wolverhampton, is also being there deliver food to more than 800 people each week, with extra treats provided on birthdays, Easter and Christmas, especially for children. Warwick Volunteers is offering a "win-win for all" through the support it gives to overseas students, organisers group places students in volunteer positions, working in areas from nature conservation to foodbanks, and also provides language skills for refugees, so that the students gain confidence and Anderson said the groups brought communities together and improved lives, adding the awards would make for an "uplifting and heartwarming" presents the awards on Sunday at the ICC in Birmingham city centre. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
