FERRUM, VA (October 28, 2022) – On Friday, November 11, 2022, Ferrum alumnus and Lieutenant Colonel Derek R. Baird ’96 will be the keynote speaker during Ferrum College’s annual Veterans Day ceremony. The ceremony will be held at 11:30 a.m. in Vaughn Chapel and is open to the community.
Originally from Virginia Beach, VA, LTC Baird enlisted in 1997 and was selected for Officer Candidate School and commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Field Artillery in 2000.
LTC Baird’s next assignment was to Fort Hood, TX where he ultimately deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II. Following the career course, LTC Baird returned to Fort Hood, where he served as the 2-4 CAV Task Force Fire Support Officer and the Commander of Battery Alpha, 1-82 FA where he deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-08.
LTC Baird’s next assignment took him to the National Training Center, where he served on the Tarantula and Wolf Teams as an Observer/Controller-Trainer. Following the U.S. Army Command and Staff College, LTC Baird served as the 3rd Infantry Division’s Deputy Chief of Fires, where he deployed to Afghanistan, and served as the 1-9 FA and 3ID Division Artillery Operations Officers. LTC Baird then served as the Joint Fire Support Officer for the 1st German-Netherlands Corps, a NATO Rapid Deployable Corps. His next assignment was back at Ford Hood as the Commander of the 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment Battalion, deploying his Battalion to Europe as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
LTC Baird is currently a student at the United States Army War College. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Ferrum College, and a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University.
LTC Baird is married to the former Jolinda Bandy from Ohio, and they have two dogs, Layla and Joker.
