Retired Army Lt. General Ed Anderson of Monument was honored in Washington last week by the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition.

Anderson is the former deputy commander of the U.S. Northern Command and vice commander of the U.S. Element at the North American Aerospace Defense Command at Peterson Air Force Base.

He retired in 2004.

After graduating from West Point, Anderson commanded field artillery units in the U.S., Korea, Germany and Vietnam and later served the Army staff in the office of the deputy chief of staff for research, development and acquisition in the Pentagon. He was director of firepower in the office of the deputy chief of staff for combat developments at Army Training and Doctrine Command headquarters.

Last year he served as interim executive director for the National Cyber Intelligence Center in Colorado Springs after five years as executive director of strategic, military, science, space and security initiatives for the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

More than 900 people attended the event at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center to honor the 200 retired three- and four-star generals and admirals who serve on the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition’s National Security Advisory Council.

“After 39 years with the U.S. Army, I have a deep appreciation for our nation’s diplomats and development workers,” Anderson said in a statement. “Whether maintaining peace, bolstering stability or reducing poverty – they represent the best of America’s values. At the same time, their work in fragile states and volatile regions helps to mitigate security threats and keep American boots off the ground. Scaling back investments in their vital work is not an option.”

The broad coalition military, business, community and faith leaders is an influential nonprofit that advocates for diplomatic efforts on international affairs, including international AIDS relief, the Peace Corps, the World Bank and other such global efforts.

This year’s keynote speaker was Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

“Regardless of what the issue of the day is, we are always going to have the strongest economic position in the world,” she said, according to the coalition. “We’re always going to have the strongest military in the world … and we’re always going to be the most philanthropic country in the world.

“And for that, there is responsibility. And responsibility breeds leadership. And we have to always remember that those two things go together. And if we do, then the world will be a safer and a better place.”