His connection to both Ukraine and the Crescent City is emotional and spiritual, and maybe even a little spiritual, as he has spent time in both places improving the quality of life for people around the world. There may even be a strong bond.
His personal journey took him from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Crescent City, where he served as a maritime enforcement officer during a five-year stint in the U.S. Coast Guard, to Khmelnytsky, Ukraine, and back again to Northern California, where he served as a K9 officer. He returned to Northern California with his partner, Sergeant Johnson. Kostya is part of the police K9 unit.
School Resource Officer Daniel Saunders holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations with an emphasis on NATO-Russia issues and Eastern Europe. His ability to speak both Ukrainian and Russian allowed him to get a job as an English teacher in Khmelnytsky after his stint ended for two years.
“I might have more friends in Ukraine than here,” Sanders said. Mr. Sanders began his career as an explorer in the Crescent City and later worked as an intern and police assistant with the Albuquerque (New Mexico) Police Department.
“I studied international relations because I wanted to graduate from university before starting a career in law enforcement. It was very easy to find a job teaching English in Ukraine, although the standards were not the best. As a native English speaker, this was a good thing, so I wrote to several English schools and they said, “Of course.” ”
As someone who speaks Ukrainian and Russian, the application process was very easy and the experience proved to be a valuable learning experience in itself.
“I taught (them) California English,” he said with a laugh. “I loved explaining the terminology of words and their origins.
“For some reason, they grew up watching American movies that always used these crazy slang terms. People were really funny. What I enjoyed most about this class was that they loved learning English. How seriously they were interested in it. For them, that was the key to success, and that’s pretty incredible considering that Americans take that for granted.”
His experiences included playing a tourist, seeing things that were foreign to a man who grew up in New Mexico and spent much time in California. Snow was pretty high on the list. Winter days, time spent in the highlands, architecture and culture were all part of his classroom and his own personal educational process.
His teaching career ended in 2019. He returned to settle into a career as a law enforcement officer and spent five years as a maritime enforcement specialist working in the United States, assigned to an advanced interdiction team specializing in counter-narcotics and armed protection.
He has returned to Ukraine every year since leaving to visit friends, and has also brought back medical supplies after the Russian invasion.
“I’ve been back every winter since I left here. The last time was from December ’22 to January ’23. I think I miss the snow. I love the first snow on the ground,” Dell said.・Said Sanders, who also worked as a corrections officer and patrol deputy for the North County Sheriff’s Office.
“The first year I went back, it was right before the invasion. People said Russia was going to invade and I remember thinking that was ridiculous. It was all saber rattling. I thought it was a show of power.”
He was quick to point out that he had never been involved in any fighting and that no buildings in his area had been destroyed by rocket attacks. He was there on a humanitarian mission, so to speak.
“I have so many friends there. I came back last Christmas,” he said. “I talked to my friends who are fighting over there and they told me they don’t have first aid kits or trauma kits,” he said. “They needed life-saving supplies for gunshot wounds and major trauma. Every street cop here carries a tourniquet. But they didn’t even have that.
“We collected medical supplies and put them together. I had basic training when I was with the Coast Guard, so I was able to actually train them how to use them.”
The connection between Ukraine and the Crescent City actually grew out of that experience. Sanders was paired with his K9 partner, Sergeant John Johnson. 2019, Kostya. In memory of his friend who died during his invasion, he appropriately named the dog Kostya, which means Konstantin in Ukrainian.
“Kostya was the first dog I had,” he said. “People are right when they say dogs are man’s best friend. When I spend 10 to 12 hours a day at work, I have the best companion ever.
“[Konstantin]would think it would be pretty cool to have a dog named after him. I wouldn’t name a pet after him, but Kostya is a service dog and , a warrior. Constantine is steady and courageous, and I believe my dog has the same characteristics. He will make the ultimate sacrifice for me, just as Constantine did for his country.