CAPT Robert A. Sanders, J.D., USN

CAPTAIN ROBERT A. SANDERS, J.D.

Captain Robert A. Sanders currently serves as the Director of the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies, Newport, RI.

Captain Sanders holds a Juris Doctorate, Columbus School of Law, Catholic University of America; a Master of Laws (Military International and Operational Law Specialty), U.S. Army JAG School; an M.S. in Strategic Intelligence, National Defense Intelligence College; an M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies, U.S. Naval War College; an M.S. in International Relations, Troy State University; and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Northeastern University. Sanders completed a 2010 Fellowship at MIT’s Seminar XXI Program for Foreign Politics, International Relations and National Interest. He was the Navy’s 2009 NAACP Roy Wilkins Meritorious Service Award recipient and has also earned a United States Marine Corps’ Martial Arts Program Green Belt. Captain Sanders is currently a doctoral thesis completion student in Northeastern University’s Law and Policy Doctorate program.

Captain Sanders entered the Navy through RTC, Great Lakes, and served as a USNR Intelligence Specialist assigned to Washington, DC. After commissioning as a Judge Advocate, Sanders served at Naval Legal Service Office Detachment in Sigonella, Italy; NAS Jacksonville, FL; and Commander, Submarine Group 10 (COMSUBGRU TEN), Kings Bay, GA. During 1998, Captain Sanders completed a research internship with the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI); the result was "Black Seminoles," DEOMI Heritage Series Pamphlet 99-3. He completed his LLM at the U.S. Army JAG School, and then reported as a Legislative Counsel, Navy Office of Legislative Affairs where he served as the Acting Senate Director, Assistant SECDEF (Legislative Affairs), and as the Litigation, Team Leader and the Branch Head for Information Litigation, Office of the Judge Advocate General (OJAG), General Litigation Division. He was assigned as Assistant SJA (Investigations) USCENTCOM in 2003, and then as a Team Leader in the Navy Appellate Defense Division. He deployed to Afghanistan in 2004 as the Afghan National Army JAG Mentor and Special Staff Deputy Director, OMC Afghanistan. From 2005 to 2007, Captain Sanders served as Executive Officer and ultimately served his first tour as Commanding Officer of Navy Legal Service Office North Central. He then served as DAJAG (MILPERS) from 2007-2009. He returned to NLSO NC for his second tour as CO in the summer of 2009. Captain Sanders became the tenth Director of Defense Institute of International Legal Studies in June, 2011.

Captain Sanders’ military awards include the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Navy-Marine Corps’ Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Afghan Service Campaign Medal, Southwest Asia Service medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal and the Expert Pistol Medal. He was elected to the Schenectady County School’s Hall of Fame in 2010.