After graduating from the University of Alabama in May 1968, Lieutenant Colonel Stanford entered the Marine Corps in January 1969, with the 57th OCC. Completing The Basic School in August 1969 with "I" Company (Basic Class 9-69), 2nd Lieutenant Stanford was assigned to the rd Marine Division as a Platoon Commander with Company "G", 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines. Upon completion of a Mediterranean Cruise with 6th Marines, he received orders to Vietnam where he served as Company Executive Officer and Infantry Platoon Commander with Company "G", rd Battalion, 5th Marines. Medical Evacua4on from Vietnam sent now 1st Lieutenant Stanford to Camp Lejeune where he served in Special Services until his discharge from active duty in December 1971.

While in the civilian world, Lieutenant Stanford taught school in Cobb and Rockdale Counties in the Atlanta metropolitan area, coaching wrestling, track, football, and basketball. While out of the Marine Corps as an inactive reserve officer, he was promoted to the rank of Captain. When his application for return to active duty was approved in January 1973, Captain Stanford received orders to the Marine Corp Development and Education Command at Quantico, Virginia, where he served as a tactics instructor and staff platoon commander at the Basic School. From August 1975 to May 1976, Captain Stanford attended Amphibious Warfare School and finished the summer as a platoon commander at OCS.

September 1976 found the captain in Okinawa assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 1st Marine Division, as the S-3A Training Officer for six months before assuming command of Company "E" for the deployment phase of the tour.

Upon completion of the tour in Okinawa in September 1977, Captain Stanford was sent to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island, South Carolina where he served as Commanding Officer, Company "D", 2nd Battalion, Recruit Training Regiment, until his selection to major in October 1978. Major Stanford completed his tour at Parris Island as the Depot Clubs Officer.

From December 1980 until June 1984, Major Stanford served as Commanding Officer, Company "D", Marine Security Guard Battalion with headquarters in the Republic of Panama. In this capacity, he was responsible for Marine Security Guards in 27 Embassies in Latin America.

In August 1984, Major Stanford was assigned first as the Operations Officer, then Executive Officer of 2nd Landing Support Battalion, 2nd FSSG, at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. During this period, he was selected for promotion to the rank of lieutenant colonel. Upon his promotion, he was assigned as Strategic Mobility Officer for 2nd FSSG. Before completing his tour at Camp Lejeune, he was selected by the Commandant to join other former Marine Security Guard officers to conduct a program study of the Marine Security Guard program in the aftermath of the breach of security in the Embassy in Moscow. This duty sent him to Belgrade and Zagreb, Yugoslavia for 60 days starting in June 1987.

In August 1987, Lieutenant Colonel Stanford assumed duties as the Senior Marine Officer and Amphibious Plans Officer for Commander, Task Force 76 in Okinawa. In September 1988, he was assigned to Headquarters Marine Corps as Head of the Marine Security Guard Section providing liaison between the Department of State and the Marine Corps on matters related to Marine Security Guards. After a year in this assignment, he was reassigned to the Special Operations Section where he helped establish Marine Corp and DoD support for law enforcement agencies in counter-drug operations along the U. S. southwest border.

Lieutenant Colonel served his last year on active duty as Head of the Ground Doctrine Section at the Warfighting Center in Quantico, Virginia, retiring on 1 July 1992. After serving two years in the private sector, Lieutenant Colonel Stanford took over the MCJROTC Unit at Mullins High School in Mullins, South Carolina. In July 1996, he moved to Covington, Georgia where he opened the new MCJROTC program at Newton High School where he still serves.

Lieutenant Colonel Stanford's personal decorations include the Silver Star Medal, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, and Combat Action Ribbon.