Photo By Spc. Evan Marcy | 1st Sgt. Demetrius Steel, B Company, 44th Expeditionary Signal Battalion (left), and...... read more read more
By Spc. Evan D. Marcy
Headquarters, 5th Signal Command
CAMP VICTORY, Iraq - Commitment is more than a part of a Soldiers' life. It defines their dedication to honor, integrity, service, duty and to each other.
Making the commitment to support and defend the Constitution of the United States is something that has been done generation after generation in the Steel family.
This year, while on his first deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Sgt. Dante Steel, 319th Military Intelligence Battalion from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, reunited downrange with his father, 1st Sgt. Demetrius Steel, B Co. 44th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, who is on his fifth deployment.
"He is a fourth generation Soldier, so that's what makes it all important," said Demetrius. The progression of being a Soldier in our family goes all the way back to the World Wars and he's just carrying on that torch of tradition within our family."
Dante's grandfather was an Army officer in Vietnam and six of his children have or are currently serving in the Armed Forces. Two of his siblings are Navy Corpsman and one of Demetrius' brothers is getting ready to go to Afghanistan, and his sister just separated from the Army.
"We influenced each other to continue to do well and to serve our country. You think Steel, you think military, that's how it's always been and hopefully that's how it's always going to be," said Dante.
Although serving in many different areas, the Steel family has been able to reach out to one another for personal and professional guidance.
"It's like being able to go to a brother or sister, and then turn around and go to them as a non-commissioned officer or as an officer; as Soldiers we share that bond because we're real tight within our family, and we use that to our advantage," said Dante. "It really helps me out, being able to communicate with my father like that, especially us being deployed together. He's just a phone call or an e-mail away, and then he can give guidance as a 1st sergeant to me as a buck sergeant. It impacts my Soldiers, my job and career progression," he added. "It comes from my father, my uncle, my grandfather and we all talk and it's great to share that bond with them."
Sgt. Steel works as a human resources specialist for his battalion. His duties include administrative work along with being on the battalion's convoy team which goes on logistics missions, delivering equipment and personnel to other out sites.
"I worry about it every time he goes outside the wire, and I make sure that as soon as he gets back in that I'm his first phone call. We still have that father-son relationship. Either way I still have trust in him, his NCOs and his leaders that he's going to be alright. Senior Soldiers take care of junior Soldiers, so I have faith in the system, faith in him, and it works out fine," said 1st Sgt. Steel.
The physical attributes shared between father and son is apparent to anyone who sees the two together. Aside from the similar glasses, similar posture, and similar looks, the two speak the same. They both come across straight forward, energetic, and friendly.
"You have to raise the spirits of the people around you. The ability to successfully motivate Soldiers is the definition of leadership," said 1st Sgt. Steel.
When asked about his own motivation, Sgt. Steel gave credit to his father and other sources. "A lot of it was inherited from him, and a lot of it was from other NCOs that I've had in my last units," said Sgt. Steel.
1st Sgt. Steel is known for his speed in the 44th. He credits being able to run fast by simply doing it every day it.
"He's a natural runner," said Dante. "I'll get him one day when he's retired, old and when his knees are about to buckle. Soon he'll be eating my dust," said Dante jokingly.
Some of the advice that his father has instilled in him is "being proactive not reactive, when your feet hit the ground, you run and you move," said Sgt. Steel. His father has also taught him that, "Just because your mission might be small, in the big scheme of things, it affects a lot. You have to take everything seriously, just because you might think you're on the worst detail ever, it's for something, and that's the way the
Army is set up. The things that they make you do all plays in, it's a bigger puzzle. And your one little piece has a big effect on if that puzzle's completed," said Dante.
Dante grew up in Fayetteville, North Carolina near Fort Bragg, where his father spent 16 years with the 82nd Airborne Division. The value of service was instilled at a young age for Dante. "He knows what it's like to hear a cannon go off in the morning," said Demetrius. When Dante was young, he would put on his child-size army uniform and go to work with his father. When he was around ten years old he would go out on mornings when he didn't have school, and do PT with the unit. "We used to run down 'long street' and anybody that's been on Bragg, is familiar with 'long street.' I've made that hilly run plenty of times," said Dante. "My dad bought me kid-sized PTs, and I'd just go out there and do PT with him just to run around."
Times like that had an effect on Dante's move toward joining the military.
"Every little thing like that has influenced me in joining the military, and it's made it all worthwhile." said Dante. "I don't look back on anything and say I wish I didn't do this; I love every part of it, it's awesome."
In 1985, 1st Sgt. Steel graduated from airborne school, and then earned jumpmaster status in 1992. As a child, Dante would go out and watch his father jump. "The one jump that I distinctly remember I couldn't have been more than seven years old. We were at Bragg and my mother was there with us as well," began Dante. "Dad said he was going to wave both his hands and kick his feet together, and that's how we would tell it's him. He jumped, and my mother and I were looking up, and we saw everybody leave the bird, and everyone was waving their hands and kicking their feet together, and we looked around saying 'which one is he?'"
"That's the one jump I'll remember, it was just mind boggling seeing that many people fall out of the sky and since then, I knew I wanted to go airborne," said Dante.
In March 2007 Dante Steel graduated airborne school and his father was able
to pin his wings on him.
Dante originally joined the reserves, later switching to active duty once his unit was mobilized. He is currently working on his college degree in human resource management. On Sept. 1 2006, Dante was promoted to sergeant while stationed at Fort Bragg. His father was stationed in Mannheim, Germany. Once getting promoted he was so proud he called his father immediately.
"I still remember that same day I called him, I had just finished the ceremony, and I woke him up. He thought something was wrong, because of the time difference, and we talked about an hour on the phone," said Dante.
"He's a good Soldier and a good NCO, he's going to go far, regardless of what he does with his career, I'm really proud of him," said 1st Sgt. Steel.
Dante has considered going to Officer Candidate School or Warrant Officer School.
"There's no better feeling than being an NCO though, especially being in the same Corps as your father, uncle, and my grandfather was an NCO and then became a commissioned officer," said Dante.
"Being an NCO is great, I love it, I love every bit of it," said Dante. "I love working with Soldiers, not necessarily being in charge of them, but getting my hands dirty with them, getting it (the mission) done, is what it's all about."
Like most young Soldiers, Dante is not sure if he is going to make a career out of the military. "I would have no complaints about doing 20 years, it just all depends on what life has to offer me," he said. "He's doing all the right things to progress further," said 1st Sgt. Steel.
When asked if he had intended for his son to join the military he explained, "you want your kids to go to college, go out there and work in society with the freedoms we're supposed to protect." said 1st Sgt. Steel. "He elected to join and be a protector, which does make it better, for me, in a personal sense. I'm proud of him, very proud of him, especially for being a Soldier and accepting the challenge and doing what he's doing for this global war on terrorism."
| Date Taken: | 11.06.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 11.07.2008 12:03 |
| Story ID: | 26054 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 845 |
| Downloads: | 553 |
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