Brig. Gen. Anthony M. Henderson is a native of Washington, D.C. and attended elementary through high school in the Washington D.C. and Maryland public school systems. Colonel Henderson graduated from Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1989 with a B.A. in History and 1993 with a Juris Doctorate in Law. He is a licensed attorney in the State of Louisiana. 

Brig. Gen. Henderson was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in 1989.  As an infantry officer, he served in both command and staff positions from platoon to brigade.  During his career, Colonel Henderson has deployed throughout the world to include Cuba, Mediterranean, Africa, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East.  

He is a graduate of the Amphibious Warfare School, the Naval War College, the National War College, the Harvard School of Business Executive Education Program, and MIT Seminar XXI Executive Program.

Brig. Gen. Henderson’s combat experience includes assignment as Executive Officer, 3d Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, Twenty-nine Palms, California. Then, Major Henderson deployed with the Battalion to Operation Iraqi Freedom from January to September 2003 participating in major combat operations to destroy Iraqi forces and capture Baghdad.  He once again deployed with the Battalion to Iraq in February 2004 executing counterinsurgency, stability and reconstruction operations along the Iraqi-Syrian border until September 2004.  Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, he assumed command of Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina on 1 June 2007.  The battalion was deployed to Afghanistan from March to October 2008 leading the counter-insurgency effort to regain control in the southern area of Helmand Province.  Upon his return Lieutenant Colonel Henderson relinquished command of 1st Battalion, 6th Marines and served as the Operations Officer, 2d Marine Regiment until June 2009. 

Lieutenant Colonel Henderson served on the Joint Staff, J3 as a Current Operations Planner for Europe and NATO from July 2010 to April 2012 followed by and assignment as Special Assistant to Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff, until, July 2013.  Colonel Henderson returned to I MEF in July 2013 and was assigned Assistant Chief of Staff CJ-3/5 Operations and Plans Marine Expeditionary Brigade – Afghanistan where he served for 10 months in Afghanistan completing the withdrawal of US Marine and Coalition Forces from Helmand Province and transition to Afghanistan full security.  Colonel Henderson assumed command of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit on December 12, 2014. He completed the Boxer ARG/13th MEU 7-month WestPac deployment in October 2016 after operating in the PACOM, AFRICOM, and CENTCOM AORs.  Colonel Henderson relinquished command of the 13th MEU in December 2016.  Following command he served in Plans, Policy, and Operations Division, Headquarters Marine Corps as Branch Head, Current and Future Operations.  Colonel Henderson then served from February 2019 to January 2020 as the Strategic Advisor and Military Assistant to the Secretary of the Navy.  He recently served as the Director of Plans and Concepts, Marine Corps Warfighting Lab, Quantico, Virginia, before his assignment to II MEF.
 

His personal decorations include the Combat Action Ribbon, bronze device in lieu of second award, Navy Commendation Medal with “V” for valor, gold star in lieu of second award, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal with “V” for valor, gold star in lieu of second award, Legion of Merit, gold star in lieu of third award, and Defense Superior Service Medal.

Brig. Gen. Henderson is married to Sonja and together they have six children.