Lieutenant General Martin R. Steele, USMC (Ret.) was born in Philadelphia, PA and raised in Fayetteville, AR, Lieutenant General Martin R. Steele enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in January 1965. During his initial tour at Camp Pendleton he was deployed to the Republic of Vietnam. Subsequently assigned as a Corporal to the Officer Candidates School, General Steele was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in January 1967. He rose steadily in the ranks, holding positions as Platoon Commander, Executive Officer, and Tank Company Commander. This was followed by a second tour of duty in Southeast Asia and an assignment as Office-in-Charge of Sea School in Portsmouth, VA.
In 1973, General Steele returned to Camp Pendleton and served as a Tank Company Commander, Battalion Operations Officer and Aide-de-Camp to the Commanding General of the 1st Marine Division. An assignment as an Assault Amphibian Vehicle Company Commander was followed by duty as the Marine Corps Liaison Officer to the Project Manager, M60/M1A1 Tank Program at the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Command in Warren, MI. He then served at Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC) in Washington, DC as the Tank Acquisition Project Officer.
From August 1985 through 1988, General Steele was the Commanding Officer of both 1st Light Armored Vehicle Battalion and 1st Tank Battalion. In July 1988, he transferred overseas where he was assigned as Operations Officer, Combined Forces Command, Republic of Korea. Upon his return in August 1990, he assumed the duties as the Deputy Director, Marine Air-Ground Task Force Warfighting Center, Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Quantico, VA.
After serving in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, General Steele took over as Director of the Warfighting Development Integration Division at Quantico. In 1993, he was promoted to Brigadier General and assigned duty as Commanding General, Marine Corps Base, Quantico in June of that year and was selected in November 1994 for promotion to Major General. He served as the Director of Strategic Planning and Policy, U.S. Forces Pacific, from 1995 to 1997. He was then promoted to Lieutenant General and assigned as Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, Policies and Operations at HQMC.
Upon retirement in 1999, General Steele became President and CEO of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City, the largest naval museum in the world. Currently, Lieutenant General Martin R. Steele is the CEO of Steele Partners, Inc. and a Managing Partner of Uncommon Leadership, LLC
General Steele’s personal decorations include: The Defense Distinguished Service Medal; The Distinguished Service Medal; The Defense Superior Service Medal; Legion of Merit; Meritorious Service Medal; Navy Commendation Medal with gold star; and The Combat Action Ribbon. Equally notable are his academic achievements: a BA degree from the University of Arkansas, MA degrees from Central Michigan University, Salve Regina College and the Naval War College. He is a distinguished graduate of the Armor Officer Advanced Course, an honor graduate of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, and graduate of the Naval War College.