Cops' enlisted leader retires next week Published July 22, 2008 By Susan Griggs Keesler News KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISS. -- Chief Master Sgt. Errol Sanders, 81st Security Forces Squadron manager, is honored on his retirement after 30 years of Air Force service, 8 a.m. Aug. 1 at the Keesler NCO Academy auditorium. Chief Sanders arrived at Keesler last July after a year-long deployment to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. He's the senior enlisted leader for 167 squadron members and advises the operations officer and commander on unit activities, policies, capabilities, requirements and budget. The chief oversees operation support sections, including canine, training, armory, investigations and plans and programs. He directs the standardization and evaluation section and reviews preparation of wing operations plans, instructions and unit operating instructions. He also manages his unit's personnel manning roster and manpower document. A native of New Orleans, Chief Sanders entered the Air Force in 1978. After basic military training and security specialist training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, his first assignment was at Bergstrom AFB, Texas. His other assignments were at Royal Air Force Bentwaters, Lakenheath, Molesworth and Mildenhall, England; Hahn Air Base, Germany; Ellsworth AFB, S.D.; Onizuka Air Station, Calif.; Goodfellow AFB, Texas; Andersen AFB, Guam and Keflavik Naval Air Station, Iceland. Chief Sanders earned associate degrees in criminal justice and social science from the Community College of the Air Force, an associate degree in accounting and a bachelor's degree in business management from the University of Maryland and a master's degree in international relations from Troy State University. He's earned the Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Com-mendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster and the Air Force Achievement Medal. He was senior noncommissioned officer of the year at Ellsworth and a distinguished graduate of the NCO Academy at Barksdale AFB, La., both in 1989. He received the Competent Toast-master Award in 2003. Chief Sanders and his wife, Victoria, have two children, Luke and Samantha.