He graduated from The Basic School at Marine Corps Base Quantico and was selected for further flight training at NAS Pensacola, Florida.

Upon completion of training, Sanborn received orders to VMA-231 at Iwakuni Marine Base in Japan and later deployed to Saudi Arabia in 1990 after the Invasion of Kuwait by Iraqi forces.

In June 1997, Sanborn was assigned to Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River as the Assistant Program Manager for the AV-8B.

In June 2004 as a lieutenant colonel, Sanborn assumed duties as commanding officer of Marine Attack Squadron 542 (VMA-542) while stationed in Iraq and served in that position until summer 2006.

He next served a staff assignment with the Joint Strike Fighter program in Washington D.C. As a colonel, he assumed duties as commanding officer of Marine Aircraft Group 14 from May 2009 to July 2011.

Sanborn then served briefly as Assistant Wing Commander for 2nd MAW (Forward) deploying to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.