Lisa and retired Colonel Warren Anderson moved to Madison in 2009. They learned about Madison’s appeal from his college buddy and also their oldest daughter’s godparents, who had retired here. CONTRIBUTED

MADISON – Following his family’s footsteps, retired Colonel Warren Anderson entered the U.S. Air Force in 1982 in Atlanta. He retired as Colonel in 2009 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (AFB), Ohio.

“My grandfather, Warren Anderson, served in the U.S. Navy aboard USS Virginia and sailed in President Roosevelt’s Great White Fleet,” he said. “My dad, Edward Anderson, served 27 years in the U.S. Army, a World War II veteran, and passed on active duty.”

Colonel Anderson was commissioned at Officer Training School, Medina Annex, Lackland AFB, Texas. His first assignment was at Georgia Tech, his alma mater, to study engineering. He already had completed a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and master’s degree in industrial management. “USAF needed engineers for President Reagan’s SDIO program,” he said.

At Wright-Patterson, his first job was as cryogenics engineer, working spacecraft cryocoolers and thermal management systems. The Andersons first learned about Madison from godparents of Jessica, their oldest daughter.

Next, he was assigned to Vandenberg AFB with 6595th Missile Test Group and Test and Evaluation Group. Anderson supported closeout of AntiSatellite and launches for RSLP. He returned to Wright-Patterson and was selected for Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell AFB.

Next, Anderson was placed with Air Staff at the Pentagon. He became deputy and chief of staff for Air Force Secretary for Acquisition.

“I was blessed to receive Air Force’s position as an Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics,” Anderson said. He attended Harvard Business School Executive Education program and received resident assignment to Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy.

Next, at Office of USD (AT&L), Anderson was a systems engineer and Military Assistant to SECDEF Chief Systems Engineer.

“My last assignment was my greatest honor, serving men and women of Defense Contract Management Agency, Dayton Contract Management Office as Commander,” Anderson said.

Currently, Anderson works for Geeks and Nerds as program manager for Ballistic Missile Defense System Operational Test Agency.

His wife Lisa Babbitt Anderson is from Augusta, Ga. They have three daughters: Jessica and husband Sean Evans of Stafford, Va. and “‘grand-blessings'” Eddie, 5, Allison, 3, and Hailey, 2; Katie Anderson, staff biologist, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, Eureka Springs, Ark.; and Kelsey Anderson of Huntsville.

His hobbies are swimming, cruising, yard work and “our ‘grand-blessings.'”