Intrepid General Martin Steele Joins VeteransAdvantage Advisors

Lieutenant General Martin R. Steele, President and CEO of the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum in New York City, has joined the VeteransAdvantage Board of Advisors, Scott Higgins, VeteransAdvantage President and CEO, has announced.

"General Steele echoes our commitment to develop new, private-sector benefits for our fellow veterans," said Mr. Higgins, a former Army lieutenant who served in Vietnam in 1967-68.  "We will seek his advice and assistance as we work to accomplish the goals we share."

General Steele joins Paul (Buddy) Bucha, former Army captain and recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor who is now Chairman of the Board of the Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation; former Marine Gerry Byrne, President and CEO of "Stagebill," the publication of the performing arts; United States Olympic Hall of Famer Donna de Varona, who won two Gold Medals at the 1964 Games held in Tokyo; Lt. Gen. Robert E. Kelley, USAF (Ret.), President of Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge; and former naval officer and Vietnam veteran Ed Vick, Chairman and CEO of Y&R Advertising, one of the largest ad agencies in the world.

In his last active-duty assignment before his retirement from the Marine Corps in August 1999, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, Policies and Operations at Marine Corps Headquarters.

General Steele, who was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Fayetteville, Arkansas, enlisted in the Marines in January 1965. Following a tour of duty in Vietnam, he was accepted at Officer Candidates School and was commissioned a second lieutenant in January 1967. He rose steadily in the ranks, holding positions as platoon commander, executive officer, tank company commander, and tank battalion commander.

Following his return from Korea in 1990, where he was operations officer for the Combined Forces Command, he was assigned as Deputy Director of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Warfighting Center at the Marine Corps Combat Development Command in Quantico, Virginia.  After serving in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm as G-3 aboard the USS Blue Ridge, General Steele took over as Director of the Warfighting Development Integration Division at Quantico.  In 1993, he was promoted to brigadier general and became Quantico¹s Commanding General.  A year later, he added another star, and in 1997 was elevated to lieutenant general.

His 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.

General Steele holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Arkansas and Master of Arts 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 a graduate of the Naval War College.

General Steele is married to the former Cynthia Bayliss of Little Rock, Arkansas. They have three children: Diane, a schoolteacher; David, a captain in the Marine Corps; and Deborah, a college student.