C/1-506 IN Commander's Biography

HARDROCK 6

John H. SandlerCaptain John H. Sandler was born May 15, 1965 in Jersey City, New Jersey and raised in the towns of Westport and Fairfield, Connecticut. He attended the American University in Washington, D.C. and graduated in 1987 with a degree in Political Science.

He enlisted in the army as an infantry soldier on December 27th, 1990 and attended Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Fort Benning, Georgia. His first duty assignment was at the Joint Security Area in the Republic of Korea where he served for two years, with a third year serving in the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission as a Joint Duty NCO in the Truce Village of Panmunjom, Korea. He PCS'd to the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York in the Spring of 1994 where he served for the next four and a half years as an Infantry Team Leader and Squad Leader in 3rd Platoon, Bravo Company, 2-22nd Infantry Battalion.

Captain Sandler attended OCS at Fort Benning, Georgia in late 1998 and was commissioned as an Infantry Officer on February 2nd, 1999. He subsequently PCS'd to Korea where he served as a Scout Platoon Leader in HHC/1-9 Infantry Battalion, and a Mechanized Infantry Platoon Leader and Company Executive Officer in D/1-9 at Camp Hovey, Korea. Following his assignment in 1-9, he served for two years as the Executive Officer for the TANGO Security Force in Yongsan, Korea prior to being promoted to the rank of captain on September 1st 2002 and attending the Infantry Officers Advanced Course in the fall of 2002 at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Upon completion of the Advanced Course and the Combined Services Staff School, Captain Sandler returned to Korea in the spring of 2003 where he served as the Battalion S3 Air Officer for 1-506th Infantry Battalion (Air Assault) at Camp Greaves. He deployed with Task Force 1-506th to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II in the summer of 2004 and assumed command of Charlie "Hardrock" Company on 14 November 2004.

His awards and decorations include the Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman's Badge, Expert Infantryman's Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, the Joint Service Commendation ribbon, the Army Commendation ribbon with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Joint Service Achievement ribbon, the Army Achievement ribbon with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, the National Defense ribbon (2nd Award), the Overseas ribbon (2nd Award), the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the NCOES ribbon, the Army Service ribbon, the Good Conduct Medal (2nd Award), the Global War on Terrorism ribbon (Service), the Global War on Terrorism ribbon (Expeditionary), and the Korean Service Defense Medal.