Michael D. Steele facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael D. Steele
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Col. Michael Steele, commanding 3rd BCT, 101st Airborne during Operation Starlite in Salah Ah Din province, Iraq
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| Born | September 15, 1960 Statham, Georgia, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ |
United States Army |
| Years of service | 1983–2010 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Commands held | A Company, 4th Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment B Company, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment |
| Battles/wars | Operation Just Cause Operation Gothic Serpent Operation Joint Guardian War in Afghanistan Iraq War |
| Awards | Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal Purple Heart Meritorious Service Medal |
Michael Dane Steele (born September 15, 1960) is a retired Colonel in the United States Army. He was a leader in the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. This was during the Battle of Mogadishu (1993) in Somalia. This event was part of Operation Gothic Serpent.
The battle became famous through the book and movie Black Hawk Down. In the movie, actor Jason Isaacs played Colonel Steele. He also appeared briefly in the documentary I Am an American Soldier.
Contents
Early Life and Military Training
Michael Steele was born on September 15, 1960. He grew up in Statham, Georgia, a small town in the southeastern United States. He went to the University of Georgia. There, he played offensive lineman for the Bulldogs football team.
In 1980, his team won the national championship. After college, Steele joined the Army in 1983. He became an infantry officer through the Army ROTC program. His first job was with the Berlin Brigade in West Berlin. He later earned a master's degree from Central Michigan University. He also completed special military training. This included Airborne School and Ranger School.
Operation Gothic Serpent in Somalia
In August 1993, Captain Steele went to Mogadishu, Somalia. He led a rifle company in the 75th Ranger Regiment. They were part of Task Force Ranger. This group included different special operations forces. Their goal was to capture Mohamed Farrah Aidid, a Somali warlord.
On October 3, 1993, Task Force Ranger learned that two of Aidid's leaders were in Mogadishu. The task force sent 19 aircraft, 12 vehicles, and 160 soldiers. Their mission was to arrest these leaders. Captain Steele used a technique called fast-roping. He slid down a rope from a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. This happened in the Bakara Market.
The raid was supposed to take only 30 minutes. It aimed to capture Omar Salad and Abdi Hassan Awale. They were top advisors to Aidid. The soldiers loaded them and other prisoners into vehicles. They planned to take them back to base. However, two MH-60 Black Hawks were shot down. This changed the mission completely.
The soldiers, led by Captain Steele, protected the crash site of one helicopter. They fought against many armed fighters all night. After 15 and a half hours of intense fighting, armored vehicles arrived. These vehicles helped get the soldiers out. The Rangers then protected the convoy. They fought their way to safety at a United Nations base.
During this battle, 16 American soldiers died. Many more were injured. Two American soldiers and one Malaysian soldier also died during the rescue. One more soldier died later from a mortar attack. The Somali fighters also suffered many losses. Captain Steele received the Bronze Star Medal for his leadership during this fight.
Leading in Operation Iraqi Freedom
Colonel Steele led the 3rd Brigade (Rakkasan) of the 101st Airborne Division. He was in command from June 2004 to November 2006. During this time, he helped change the unit. It went from a traditional brigade to a larger combat team. This new team had more battalions and different types of units.
Steele and his brigade went to Iraq in late 2005. They mostly worked in the Saladin Governorate area. In March 2006, the brigade planned and carried out Operation Swarmer. This was a joint U.S.-Iraqi air assault. It targeted fighters in the desert near Samarra. The U.S. military said it was the largest air assault in Iraq since the war began in 2003.
Besides Operation Swarmer, the brigade did many other large operations. These included Operation Katrina and Operation Rita. They also did Operation(s) Red Light I, II, and III. Other missions were Operation Swift Sword, Operation Starlight, and Operation Iron Triangle.
In November 2006, Steele finished his command of the 3rd Brigade. He then moved to a new role at Fort McPherson, Georgia. There, he helped coordinate training for Army forces in the United States.
Investigation and Reprimand
During Operation Iron Triangle in 2006, an investigation took place. It looked into the deaths of some unarmed Iraqis. Four soldiers said that Colonel Steele had given them certain instructions. Steele denied giving those specific orders. He stated that they do not shoot people who have their hands up.
He was not charged with any crime. However, he was formally disciplined by Lieutenant General Peter W. Chiarelli. This discipline effectively meant he could not be promoted further in the army. The details of the reprimand were not made public. However, officials said it was for not reporting all the details of the raid and the deaths.
See also
- Military-age male
