Sales was an honorary master chief petty officer — one of the first since Bob Hope. He was awarded the CAPT R.L. “Zeke” Cormier Honorary Tailhooker of the Year in 2009 and the U.S. Navy's Superior Public Service Award in 2005. He led more than 20 aircraft carrier distinguished visitor (DV) embarks, introducing hundreds of civic leaders to the Navy and Carrier Aviation, positively affecting and cultivating support for the Navy’s mission. He sponsored numerous visits from Naval Aviation leaders to Detroit to speak with local civic leaders and created the DV embark program at NAS Oceana.