Mac Steele Email & Phone Number

Afghanistan

As an expert in Afghanistan's history, culture, traditions, and formal and informal governance structures, provide expert advice and technical assistance to Afghan local government officials, intelligence officers and security forces in order to develop competencies in governance, political and economic development, rule of law, and infrastructure development. Lead local interagency working groups in order to ensure active coordination with representatives of various US agencies, the military, the Afghan government and NGOs. Synchronized efforts to build Afghan capacity and self-reliance. Coordinated with local elders, government officials and former insurgents in order to conduct outreach for reconciliation and reintegration activities that removed anti-government fighters from the battlefield. Served as the senior political advisor to a US Army battlespace owner.

Led, trained and mentored a company consisting of over 290 United States Marines as they prepared for the conduct of counterinsurgency operations. Reorganized the company based on expert knowledge of military operations in Afghanistan and a thorough, independent analysis of threat intelligence. Balanced limited resources with current requirements to create a task-organized company optimized to support combat operations in the austere, counterinsurgency environment of Helmand, Afghanistan. Supported the 1st Marine Division as well as Afghan National Security Force units by conducting intelligence-driven planning and execution of the full-spectrum of ground operations. Selected from among the captains and majors of the Battalion to organize and train a company-sized breaching task force in support of an armored battalion (reinforced) raid. Deployed the task force to within one kilometer of the Pakistan border and commanded it under fire during a mission that successfully destroyed an insurgent facilitation node, including substantial insurgent material and narcotics.

Served withCombat Assault Battalion (Okinawa, JP);TF Phoenix (eastern Afghanistan, Kabul, Mazar Sharif);Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines (throughout Asia);1st Marine Special Operations Battalion (Camp Pendleton)1st Combat Engineer Battalion (Helmand, Afghanistan)-Selected to form a team of US Marines conducting foreign internal defense (FID). Served as the senior advisor to a company of Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers throughout their training and deployment to the Tora Bora region of Afghanistan. Conducted operations in concert with US Army Special Forces, Tactical HUMINT Teams and SIGINT teams. Established control of a vital population center through intelligence-driven patrolling, key-leader engagement, and counter-improvised explosive device (CIED) operations--effectively denying key terrain to the insurgency and terror groups. Provided training and counsel to Afghan leaders, vastly improving the discipline, professionalism, effectiveness and esprit de corps of a company of Afghan soldiers.- Directly contributed to the development, formation, training and deployment to southwestern Afghanistan of the first Marine Special Operations Task Force (MARSOTF).-Led a separate platoon of Marines conducting foreign internal defense (FID) during Theater Security Cooperation missions throughout Asia. Conducted realistic conventional, counterinsurgency and counter-terrorism training of allied units, to include the Philippine Army and Marines, the Republic of Korea Marines, and the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force in urban operations, advanced demolitions and counter-improvised explosive device (CIED) techniques.- Planned and executed a battalion (reinforced) deployment for training in vicinity of the Korean DMZ; integrated a battalion of US Marines and a reinforced battalion of Korean Marines for tactical training exchanges and live-fire exercises.- Planned Theater Security Cooperation exercises in Malaysia, Thailand and mainland Japan.

Master Of Arts (Ma), National Security Policy Studies

Bachelor Of Science (Bs), English

Exchange Cadet (Fall 2002)