Lt. "Jolly" Anders is the third in command of Galactica's air group under Major Jackson "Dipper" Spencer, Galactica's CAG.
Anders assumes second in command duties from Lt. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace after she is thrown into the brig for striking a higher ranking officer.
Anders accompanies Spencer and Galactica's last remaining Viper Mark VII squadron on their way back to Caprica when Galactica alerts them to a Cylon attack on their home worlds.
Two Raiders are encountered by the 20 Vipers. Before Jolly or the rest of the squadron fire a single shot, their fighters' computers are commanded to shut down by the Raiders, who have created a backdoor in their Viper's software thanks to a Cylon agent on Caprica. The helpless Vipers begin to drift, out of control. Major Spencer calls out to Jolly in vain over his dead communications system in hopes of having Anders assume command, however Spencer realizes that all of his pilots are drifting as well.
The Raiders easily destroy Anders' Viper and the rest of his squadron (TRS: "Miniseries"), and he is later remembered in Thrace's toast following the death of the ace Raider Scar (TRS: "Scar").
Notes
- Anders' call sign, Jolly, is an homage to the Original Series character, Jolly.
- It is coincidental that Jolly shares a surname with Samuel Anders, a member of the Final Five, thus making the characters unrelated.