[5] Sanders was commissioned into the Royal Green Jackets, British Army, on 23 September 1984, as a second lieutenant (on probation) as part of his undergraduate cadetship.

[9] On 28 September 2012, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Afghanistan during the period 1 October 2011 to 31 March 2012".

[21] On 7 June 2022, Sanders took the decision to cancel an overseas deployment by the 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment after a number of incidents which demonstrated a poor standard of discipline in the unit.

[25] Speaking at the Defence iQ International Armoured Vehicles conference in January 2024, Sanders described the British people as part of a "prewar generation" who may have to prepare themselves to fight in a war against Russia.

Sanders said the UK needed to take "preparatory steps to enable placing our societies on a war footing", such as a form of national service.

[28] On 11 March 2024, he was made a Commander of the Legion of Merit by General Randy George for "excellence in military service".

[33] In March 2023 Sanders was made Honorary Colonel of the British Overseas Territory The Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment.