Lieutenant Colonel Kain C. Anderson
Commanding Officer, Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1
LtCol Anderson received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in 1996. He was designated an unrestricted Naval Aviator in June 1999.
As an AV-8B Harrier pilot LtCol Anderson deployed to combat operations with the VMA-214 Blacksheep (OIF-1, 2003-2004), and the VMA-211 Wake Island Avengers (OIF 05-07, 2006-2007). LtCol Anderson held squadron leadership positions in the maintenance, operations, and logistics divisions during his AV-8B fleet tours. LtCol Anderson served as an AV-8B instructor and division head at Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1, 2007-2008, 2009-2010). LtCol Anderson is qualified as an AV-8B section lead, division lead, low altitude tactics instructor, night systems low altitude tactics instructor, and a weapons and tactics instructor.
As a Forward Air Controller LtCol Anderson deployed to Iraq with the “Darkhorse” 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines and fought in the city of Fallujah during operation Phantom Fury II (2004-2005). LtCol Anderson served as a Forward Air Controller tactics instructor and the unmanned aerial systems (UAS) subject matter expert in the MAWTS-1 air officer department (2008-2009).
LtCol Anderson holds a Master of Military Science with distinction from the Marine Corps Command and Staff College and a Master of Operational Studies with distinction from the Marine Corps School of Advanced Warfighting. He received the academic year 2011-2012 Marine Corps University Joint Service Planner Writing Award for his thesis Hiding in Plain Flight: Bird-like UAS in Future War. LtCol Anderson completed the level II acquisitions officer course at Defense Acquisition University.
LtCol Anderson served as the HQMC Aviation future plans section head from June 2012 to January 2014. He edited the annual Marine aviation plan and conducted strategic engagement as a panel member at conferences, as a public speaker, and writer on future Marine aviation concepts.
His personal decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal Strike Flight single mission bronze star, numeral 7, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with valor, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.