Colonel CHRISTIAN E. SANDER

Colonel Christian E. Sander is the  Wing Commander of the 109th Airlift Wing, Stratton Air National Guard Base, New York. He  provides leadership and management for organizing, training and equipping the unit’s 1,200-plus personnel. The Wing provides one-of-a-kind flying capability by operating from ice and snow surfaces in the Arctic and Antarctic with 10 ski-equipped LC-130Hs and two C-130Hs.

Colonel Sander joined the 109th Airlift Wing in 1990 at the beginning of Operation Desert Storm and was later commissioned at the Academy of Military Science, McGhee Tyson ANGB, Tennessee. He graduated from undergraduate pilot training at Vance Air Force Base in 1992 and has consistently maintained operational qualifications in the LC-130 and C-130 to date. He is a Command Pilot, Instructor/Evaluator with Functional Check Flight qualifications. Before assuming his current position, Colonel Sander served as the Operation Group Commander, 109th Airlift Wing.

He has supported the Wing in a variety of positions including Chief of Antarctic Operations, Chief of Wing Plans, Chief of Current Operations, New York JTF HQ Chief of Staff Executive Officer, Commander of 109th Operational Support Squadron, Deputy Commander of 109th Maintenance Group and Commander of the 109th Operations Group.

EDUCATION
1986 Bachelor of Science Degree, Interdisciplinary Engineering, Clarkson University, Potsdam, N.Y.
2001 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
2009 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2015 Air War College, by correspondence

ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 1991 – May 1992, Undergraduate Pilot Training, Vance Air Force Base, Okla.
2. May 1992 – Nov 1992, Student C-130 School, Little Rock, Ark.
3. Nov 1992 – Aug 2001, Aircraft Commander, Flight Instructor and Chief of Antarctic Operations, 139th Airlift Squadron, N.Y.
4. Aug 2001 - Sept 2006, Chief of Wing Plans, 109th Airlift Wing, Scotia, N.Y.
5. Sept 2006 – Oct 2010, Chief of Current Operations, Flight Examiner, 109th Operations Support Flight, Scotia, N.Y.
6. Oct 2010 – Jan 2012, Executive Officer for Chief of Staff, New York State Joint Force Headquarters, Latham, N.Y.
7. Jan 2012 – May 2014, Operations Support Flight/Squadron Commander, 109th Operations Support Squadron, Scotia, N.Y.
8. May 2014 – Feb 2016, Deputy Maintenance Group Commander, 109th Maintenance Group, Scotia, N.Y.
9. Feb 2016 – May 2018, Operations Group Commander, 109th Operations Group, Scotia, N.Y.
10. May 2018 – December 2020, Vice Wing Commander, 109th Airlift Wing, Scotia, N.Y.
11. Dec 2020- Present, Wing Commander, 109th Airlift Wing, Scotia, N.Y.

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Command Pilot
Flight hours: Over 4,350
Aircraft flown: T-37, T-38, C-130E, C-130H, LC-130H

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious service Medal with 4 devices
Aerial Achievement Medal with 4 devices
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Combat Readiness Medal with 10 devices
National Defense Service Medal
Antarctic Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Medal

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant, April 11, 1991
First Lieutenant, May 4, 1993
Captain, Dec 2, 1995
Major, Dec 3, 2001
Lieutenant Colonel, Oct 1, 2009
Colonel, Sept 15, 2016

(Current as of December 2020)