LTC Derick S. Taylor
LTC Derick Taylor is the Commander of US Army Garrison, Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, GA.
Born in Arkansas and raised in Florida, LTC Taylor enlisted in 1997, then accepted an Army ROTC Scholarship in 1998. He served in the US Army Reserve while simultaneously attending college between 1998-2002.
LTC Taylor has over 21 years active service, and another 6 years service in the traditional Guard and Reserve. Prior to Savannah, Derick served as the Joint Special Advisor to Italian, Tunisian, and Maltese Special Operations Forces, on behalf of US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Attached to US Embassy Rome, Italy. During this assignment, LTC Taylor coordinated and facilitated
Special Operations programs, partnerships, and activities between U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) and International SOF partners, worldwide. He also served as the advisor to the US Ambassador for Special Operations in his assigned countries.
His previous assignments include the Over-the-Horizon Counterterrorism HQ; Special Operations Joint Task Force-Afghanistan (SOJTF-A); US Army Special Warfare Center and School (SWCS); Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC); United States Africa Command; United States Forces - Korea; US Embassy Ankara, Turkey; C/3/20th Special Forces Group (Airborne); Special Operations Command-Europe; US Embassy Tallinn, Estonia; ; C/2/20th Special Forces Group (Airborne); Special Operations Task Force- East (Afghanistan); Special Operations Detachment-Central (SOCCENT); 11th Recruiting and Retention Battalion; 1-124 Infantry Regiment.
LTC Taylor has deployed worldwide in support of National Defense and Counterterrorism activities in Afghanistan, Kenya, Jordan, Turkey, Tunisia, Qatar, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Jamaica, the United Arab Emirates, and Djibouti. He has also completed overseas assignments in Italy, Germany, South Korea, and Estonia.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Army Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Combat Infantryman's Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Master Military Freefall (HALO) Badge, and the Special Forces Tab.
Lieutenant Colonel Taylor is a graduate of Georgia Military College, the University of Florida, and the National Defense University. He has conducted research and publishing on topics such as the Operationalization of the ethnic Russian Diaspora in Europe, Resistance Operations in the Baltic states, and the Impact of remotely piloted vehicles on unconventional warfare.
Taylor is also a small business owner in Hilton Head, SC, a professionally rated Skydiver and Vertical Wind Tunnel Instructor, as well as the founder of a Veterans-focused 501c3 nonprofit
organization.