Trump nominates former congressional candidate, Green Beret to oversee special operations forces
President Donald Trump has nominated Derrick Anderson to serve as assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict, according to a notice posted on Congress.gov.
The nomination was submitted Monday and referred to the Senate Armed Services Committee for consideration.
The official who holds the ASD SO/LIC job “oversees and advocates for Special Operations and Irregular Warfare throughout the Department of Defense to ensure these capabilities are resourced, ready, and properly employed in accordance with the National Defense Strategy,” according to a Defense Department description of the position.
They’re responsible for exercising “authority, direction, and control of all special operations peculiar issues relating to the organization, training, and equipping of special operations forces,” as well as advising the undersecretary of defense for policy on special ops and irregular warfare policy issues.
Anderson has most recently been serving as acting assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs, a job that he was appointed to in April. Previously, he was director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council during the early months of Trump’s second term.
He also has an extensive military background in the Army and special operations community, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, among other locations. He served as a Green Beret from 2010 to 2016, including as Special Forces company executive officer and Operational Detachment Alpha commander. Prior to that, he was an infantry platoon leader. He’s currently a lieutenant colonel in the District of Columbia Army National Guard, according to his official Army bio.
Anderson unsuccessfully ran for Congress as the Republican nominee in Virginia’s 7th District during the 2024 election cycle. Trump endorsed Anderson in that race.
Trump previously tapped Air Force veteran Michael Jensen for the ASD SO/LIC job but his nomination was withdrawn last month without explanation.
Christopher Maier was the last person to be Senate-confirmed as ASD SO/LIC. He served in that role during the Biden administration.
