Veteran’s Day Salute: Get to Know Mike Anderson, Safety Specialist

For Veterans Day 2024, we are spotlighting Mike Anderson, a Safety Specialist based in our Columbia office. Mike joined the U.S. Army on his 17th birthday while still in high school in 1986. He retired from the military in 2001 after dedicating 15 years to serving his country.

Mike was an Infantryman who worked his way up the ranks to become a well-decorated Soldier. He completed the special operations training required to become an elite Army Ranger, and he later joined the Reserves.

He is currently a member of the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) – trained Soldiers who may be called upon, if needed, to replace Soldiers in active duty and Army Reserve units.

We chatted with Mike about his time in the military and beyond.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗺𝘆?
My cousins all served in the Army and that’s what got me interested. I was able to do a split-option program during my junior and senior years of high school. I went to bootcamp at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia, then returned home to finish high school – going back each month to train until graduation. My first active-duty station was at Fort Drum in New York (on the Canadian border). I was with the 10th Mountain Division assigned to the 222nd Infantry for the first six years of my military career.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿?
As a Solider, you learn from the beginning how to help people – how to help them and take care of people. I am thankful for where I am and appreciate and enjoy every day in life.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝘂𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻?
I grew up hunting and I have had the opportunity to go to Africa a couple of times to hunt. Also, I have a house in Peru, South America and look forward to going again next year!

We thank Mike Anderson and all veterans at CarolinaPower for their service!