Doug Sanders spent more than 24 years at the Air Force, including service in the Judge Advocate General's Corps on active-duty and in the reserves. He swapped out a service uniform for a suit for the majority of those years, and the former captain culminated his civil service as the principal deputy general counsel – the senior career civilian attorney in the department.
In seeking a new challenge in the private sector, he sought a “unicorn position” – one that could also “scratch the itch” of military service. Last year, MOAA’s general counsel, Maj. Gen. Joe Lynch, USAF (Ret), announced his retirement, and Sanders jumped at the opportunity.
Sanders, a native of Fort Wayne, Ind., took over the role in January.
His tasks are twofold:
- As MOAA’s general counsel, he advises its officers and board on all legal matters and oversees its compliance program.
- In his role as MOAA’s corporate secretary, he oversees the organization’s governance process, works closely with the board chairman to orchestrate effective board and committee meetings, and serves as the board parliamentarian.
Sanders sat down for an interview to share more about his background and the mission.
Q. Why did you decide to apply to MOAA?
A. I was interested in returning to the private sector, but I wasn’t convinced I was going to find anything that kept me connected to an important mission. The more I looked at MOAA and its mission and where it was headed, the more excited I became. Frankly, it’s kind of a unicorn position.
Q. Can you share some details of your military service?
A. So, my Air Force career started in the late '90s, when I came in as an active-duty JAG. I did a four-year stint at Petersen Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, then got out to go back into private practice but stayed in the reserves. I was a litigation attorney in Palm Springs and then 9/11 happened, and I decided I’m not quite done with public service, so I came back as a federal civilian attorney. I started as a GS-13 and worked my way up the chain through management positions and into the Senior Executive Service before becoming the senior career civilian attorney in the Department of the Air Force.
Being in the Pentagon is a unique experience. It gave me a view of the military from many different angles. I think it gave me a great foundation to come to an organization like MOAA and its mission.
Q. How does MOAA’s slogan to “Never Stop Serving” resonate with you?
A. It means, whether you're currently serving, you're in for four years like I was, or you're a retired member of the uniformed services, that calling is still there. There's still more that you can do, and you're still needed.
Q. You will be working closely with the board of directors and meeting MOAA members. What can they expect from you?
A. Personality-wise I'm pretty laid back. I like to find solutions instead of admiring problems. I'm looking forward to working with MOAA members, especially as we kick off the Advocacy in Action program for this year and build toward the inaugural Total Force+ conference this fall.
Q. What’s the best movie with a lawyer?
A. There are so many great ones. I enjoyed To Kill a Mockingbird and 12 Angry Men. I really liked Presumed Innocent because of the surprise ending I didn’t’ see coming.
No list would be complete without My Cousin Vinny. But I probably have to give the nod to A Few Good Men if for no other reason than the court scene where Tom Cruise's character crosses Jack Nicholson and gets him into the “code red” box. It’s every trial attorney's dream.
And of course, “You can't handle the truth!” has become such an ingrained part of our vocabulary. It’s hard to escape.
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