Intelligence Specialist First Class Annie Ferguson embarked on her Reserve enlistment over 11 years ago. Since day one, she knew she wanted to serve her country and learn a new profession. She is currently serving as an intelligence analyst in a Reserve Unit for Special Operations Command Africa.
IS1 Ferguson is relentlessly in pursuit of a challenge and is no stranger to firsts. She deployed as part of SOCOM’s Cultural Support Teams (CST) to Afghanistan from 2013-2014 supporting Naval Special Warfare (NSW) and Army Special Forces for OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM. There, she was one of the first females in NSW to serve on the frontlines and experience combat in Afghanistan. Immediately following her CST deployment, she deployed with a SEAL Team to Iraq from 2014-2015 for OPERATION FREEDOM’S SENTINEL. She was a member of the first unit back in Iraq, to navigate the emergence of ISIS with a goal to disrupt and dismantle the ISIS foothold. A year after her back-to-back military deployments, she went back to Afghanistan as a Contractor to provide intelligence to target high-value terrorists.
Her deployments have highlighted the importance of protecting our homeland and our freedoms and has since been hired as a Criminal Analyst for the Department of Homeland Security and is loving every minute. Her dream is to become a Federal Agent so she can continue serving her country and community.
One of Annie’s passions is teaching awareness of the struggles veterans face after returning home from combat and high-operational tempo deployments. Having faced a variety of physical, emotional, and psychological struggles herself, IS1 Ferguson promotes outdoor therapy and counseling geared toward transitioning back into the civilian world, PTSD, and depression management. She, along with countless volunteers at organizations like the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Warrior Expeditions, and One More Wave help with that transition. While it can be difficult and timely to recoup from deployment, organizations like these can help do this safely and smoothly. She, along with many others in recovery, are the embodiment of Warrior Toughness and Community.