Derrick Anderson was raised in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, working in the kitchen of his mother’s local diner, while attending Courtland High School. Upon graduation, Derrick enrolled at Virginia Tech in the Corp of Cadets, making him the first person in his family to attend and graduate college.

Derrick graduated from Virginia Techwith a B.S. in Political Science (Legal Option) and immediately commissioned into the United States Army as an Infantry Officer. After completing Ranger school, and less than a year since being in college, he was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division as a Platoon Leader where he deployed for 15-months in support of “the Surge” in Iraq.

Derrick also served as a Platoon Leader with the 3rd Infantry Regiment “The Old Guard” in Arlington National Cemetery where he competed in the Best Ranger Competition in 2009 and 2010. After completion of the Special Forces Qualifications Course, Derrick became an A-Team leader in the Green Berets and served as a Detachment Commander for two Special Forces teams and the Company Executive Officer for two companies over the course of five deployments to Afghanistan, Bahrain, Jordan, Israel, and Lebanon.

Following his time in the Army, Derrick graduated with his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and clerked for two separate federal judges where he worked on a variety of civil and criminal cases. Derrick also served in the White House during President Trump’s Administration, where he worked in the Office of National Drug Control Policy. In 2017, Derrick appeared on 60 Minutes with members of his Green Beret team to discuss his final mission in Afghanistan.

Derrick currently serves as a Major in the United States Army National Guard and is also a candidate for U.S. Congress in Virginia's 7th District.