Navy Lt. Cmdr. Kelly E. Anderson, a Fair Oaks native, is a reserve judge advocate supporting U.S. Fleet Forces Command. When not in uniform, Anderson serves as an associate in Steptoe’s International Trade and Regulatory Compliance practice. 

FAIR OAKS, CA (MPG) - Lt. Cmdr. Kelly Anderson, a Fair Oaks native, recently participated in Yankee Operational Law Training (YOLT) while serving with the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps.

Yankee Operational Law Training is the Navy JAG Corps Reserve Component’s premier operational and international law training focused on relevant operational law and strategic warfighting issues facing the United States and its allies. Participants will directly enhance the warfighting readiness of the legal community, build interoperability and increase the lethality of the Joint Force.

"I particularly enjoyed YOLT because it gave me the opportunity to hear from a variety of non-Navy national security professionals about how government contracting and acquisitions fit into the broader national security law practice," Anderson said. "It was also a really great opportunity to learn more about how my military national security law and civilian law practices can intersect. In my civilian capacity, I've spent the past year clerking for a judge on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. One of my favorite things about being a reservist is the unique opportunity it presents to bring my experiences in the Department of Defense (DOD) into the civilian world, and vice versa, to bring my civilian practice skills to my reserve work in the DOD."

Anderson graduated from St. Francis High School in 2010, earned a bachelor's degree in drama from the University of Dallas in 2014 and a Juris Doctor in 2018 from Notre Dame Law School. Anderson joined the Navy seven years ago.

The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found during Anderson's time in college and growing up.

"I think it surprises people but my theater degree really taught me a lot of lessons that have stayed with me throughout my time in the Navy," Anderson said. "Working with actors and leading a cast as a director taught me a lot about leadership and stage managing taught me a ton about project management. Acting, costume running and backstage work also teach about adaptability and working under pressure. For example, if a show is actively happening, it doesn't matter if the original plan has gone wrong; you'd better come up with a new plan. All of those skills are useful in the military, particularly to JAG adjacent activities like planning. Law school didn't really teach me how to be a planner but my undergraduate did and I love it when the Navy gives me the chance to use those skills.

"Additionally, my dad was a huge influence on the kind of officer I wanted to be. He always told me that, 'Good officers lead from the front.' I've tried to remember his advice in both my military and civilian careers," Anderson said.

Her father is Christopher Anderson from Fair Oaks.

"My father served in the Army Reserves," Anderson said. "I grew up watching his service and I think that's probably what first made me want to serve. I discovered I liked languages in high school and I knew the Navy had an amazing language school at Monterey, so that then led me to an interest in the Navy. I thought about joining straight out of high school but I wanted to do Navy ROTC and the recruiter I spoke with told me that in order to focus on linguistics, I'd have to enlist. So I decided not to join, got my undergraduate degree and then went to law school, where I applied to join the JAG Corps through the student program. By the time I applied to the JAG Corps, joining the Navy was something I'd thought about at so many different stages of my life that I knew that if I didn't do it, I'd always wonder and would always regret it. I wanted to serve my country and I'm grateful to the Navy JAG Corps for giving me the opportunity to do so."

Navy Lt. Cmdr. Kelly E. Anderson is promoted to the rank of lieutenant.  For a U.S. Navy officer being promoted to lieutenant, the oath of office is reaffirmed, and it involves the officer solemnly swearing to support and defend the U.S. Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and to bear true faith and allegiance to it. She is now a lieutenant commander, which is senior to the rank of lieutenant.

Anderson was commissioned into the Navy through the U.S. Navy JAG Corps Student Program and completed Officer Development School in November 2018. Anderson then attended the Basic Lawyer Course at the Naval Justice School in 2019 before reporting to the Region Legal Service Office, Naval District Washington. After completing that tour, Anderson served at the Defense Service Office North, followed by a tour as the counsel advising Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia. While on active duty, Anderson also served at Amphibious Squadron FIVE and Region Legal Services Office Southwest.

Today, Anderson continues to serve as a reservist supporting U.S. Fleet Forces (Legal).

The Navy JAG Corps provides full-spectrum legal services to enable naval and joint operations in support of U.S. national security.

The U.S. Navy is celebrating its 250th birthday this year.

According to Navy officials, “America is a maritime nation and for 250 years, America’s Warfighting Navy has sailed the globe in defense of freedom.”

With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.

Anderson has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.

"I'm proud of a lot of little moments that wouldn't be exciting to recount, where I was given the opportunity to do good work that impacted real sailors who needed assistance," Anderson said. "I'm also really proud of my time serving in Diego Garcia and particularly of the work I did there as the emergency management officer. I'm grateful for the fact that I was able to serve in such a remote location and the emergency management role was a collateral duty that had nothing whatsoever to do with practicing law. However, it let me use a lot of those stage management skills from theater. As a reservist, I've loved being a planner for MAKO because it's really rewarding to get to directly contribute to an exercise that helps hone the broader readiness of our reserve force."

Anderson serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.

"The Navy is about preserving the freedoms that led me to law school," Anderson said. "I really love our Constitution but the rights it guarantees are only as good as our ability to preserve the peace and safety that lets us govern ourselves. Serving in the DOD is about preserving peace through deterrence."

Anderson is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.

"Thank you to my dad for setting the example of what service looked like," Anderson added. "Thank you to Stefan and Kyle as well for building a theater program where your drama majors could do lots of unique things. I got to develop a lot of skills that I'm constantly surprised to find myself using in ways I never imagined I would way back in college.”