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Engineer adds war zone experience to a life of service

  • Published
  • By Capt. Travis B. Tougaw
  • 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan --  In his lifetime, Skip Steele has seen and done plenty: he worked in the space program during its early days, contributing to missions from Titan through all the Apollos; he helped design the first spacecraft that successfully landed on Mars; he became an expert in solar power, a registered professional engineer, and a licensed contractor; he received personal recognition from President Ronald Reagan and Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney, and President George Bush made him a Point of Light. Now, at age 76, he can add service in a combat zone to his resume. 

Since arriving at Bagram in June 2006, Mr. Steele has been an important part of the work the Army Corps of Engineers has been doing here. His most recent project was as the engineer for the Tactical Training Area - a 14-building compound that will be used to provide operational training for U.S. and coalition forces. He's particularly proud of the way the training site turned out and believes the training it enables will prove beneficial. "The customer is the fighting man or woman, and you have to take care of them," he said. 

Up next is a brand new, 2,000-person dining facility located in the area the old hospital occupied. "I did the whole design myself," Mr. Steele said, adding with his wry wit, "and I had two whole weeks to do it." 

He designed the facility to go up quickly. The Korean engineering regiment will construct it, and U.S. military engineers will complete the electrical and plumbing work. "We should save Uncle Sam about $4 million and get it done a couple of years early by doing it that way," he said. 

Getting here was not easy for Mr. Steele; when he volunteered to come to Bagram, he found that his age was a prohibiting factor. But, Mr. Steele was not easily dissuaded; with the help of Vice President Cheney's and Senator Lindsey Graham's offices, he soon received permission to deploy. "They were very pleased to help me," he said. "I wanted to pay for all that free air I've been breathing for 76 years. I'd been in the military before, but I'd never been close to being in a combat zone." 

Mr. Steele, whose birthday was earlier this month, also had the support of his wife and four children, who are in their forties, after their initial shock at his desire to serve in Afghanistan. "They thought I was insane, but when I told them why, they understood and accepted it," he said. 

The 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron hosted Mr. Steele on a tour of the phase maintenance area April 10. A spry septuagenarian, he eagerly sprang up the ladder to see the cockpit of an F-15E Strike Eagle. He was impressed by the technology that goes into the aircraft. "It's awesome what bright, intelligent people can do," he said. He noted that the first airplane he'd ever been in was a Stetson in the late 1930s. 

Maj. Patrick Ballard, the 455th EMXS commander, said he was impressed by Mr. Steele's "sense of patriotism and his willingness to get in the fight. He has a passion for his country, and it shows. After all, if he didn't, he wouldn't be in Afghanistan." 

Major Ballard arranged the F-15 tour for Mr. Steele after a chance meeting, when they happened to sit at the same table during lunch one day. "I felt I should do something to make his year out here even better," Major Ballard said. "After all, his contribution here will be felt for many years to come after he's back home. He had to go to great lengths to get a chance to come over here. He is a great example for others to follow." 

Throughout his tour, Mr. Steele expressed his appreciation for the work the Airmen at Bagram do to successfully fly combat sorties. "I identify myself with the guy who is actually doing the fighting," he said. "That's why I'm here." 

While most people his age are happy to retire, Mr. Steele said a simple philosophy guides him. "The minute you decide you're old, it's already over," he said. "You determine for yourself what your limitations are." He added that when approached with a task, he decides if he can or cannot accomplish it. "Whether I say 'yes' or 'no,' I'm right. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy." 

He's put his boundless energy to good use at Bagram, working to improve the Army Corps of Engineers' infrastructure. "We have few people and little equipment, and I have to go beg for things like that," he said. "There wasn't a single technical book for engineering when I got here." He addressed that problem by bringing many of his own books with him and having more mailed here. 

Despite the challenges, Mr. Steele remains impressed with the caliber of people serving in the U.S. military. "We're doing something that the private industry would be proud to have," he said. 

Mr. Steele has plans to re-open a management consultant firm when he returns to the United States in June, and he also has a standing offer to teach management and English as a visiting professor in China. Regardless of what's next for Mr. Steele, one thing is certain: slowing down is not an option.