Colonel Edward J. Sanford was born in Okinawa, Japan. He commissioned as an infantry officer in May 2000 and was assigned to 2nd Battalion 502nd Infantry, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky from 2001 to 2004, where he served as a rifle platoon leader and company executive officer.
Sanford graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in 2006 and was assigned to 2nd Battalion 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne). From 2006 to 2010, COL Sanford served as detachment commander of SFOD-A 743 and as an assistant operations officer.
Sanford departed 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in 2010 and was assigned to the Maneuver Captain’s Career Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. Here, he taught tactics, doctrine, and combatives to U.S. and international officers.
In 2013, he returned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and commanded AOB 7230. After command, he remained in 2nd Battalion as the executive officer and later served as the 7th Special Forces Group Operations Officer.
From 2016 to 2019, Sanford served at U.S. Army South in the Commander’s Initiatives Group and as the G3 Future Operations Chief before returning to 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and commanding 2nd Battalion from March 2019 to June 2021.
Later, Sanford was selected to command 2nd Battalion, 4th Security Forces Assistance Brigade from 2021 to 2023.
Sanford’s military and civilian education includes the infantry officer basic and advanced courses, the U.S. Army Airborne School, the Air Assault Course, Ranger School, the Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape (SERE) Course, the Special Forces Qualification Course, and the Basic Combatives Instructor Course (Level III).
He holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in English from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi and a master’s degree from the Naval Postgraduate School, as well as a Master of Strategic Studies from the Air War College.
Sanford’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star with two oak leave clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal with silver oak leaf cluster, the Army Commendation medal with oak leaf cluster, the Army Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster, the National Defense Service medal, the Global War on Terrorism expeditionary and service medals, the Afghanistan campaign medal, the Iraq campaign medal, the NATO medal, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Parachutist badge, the Air Assault badge, the Ranger Tab, and the Special Forces Qualification Tab.
COL Sanford is married to Candice Sanford of Montgomery, Alabama. They have two children.