A simple approach can create a significant impact in the big picture. That was the case for Sean Steele, leading him into a career that has made up the bulk of his adult life.
Steele was born and raised in Michigan City. He played freshmen basketball before spending the majority of his high school career working.
Following graduation, Steele worked at the Marquette Mall, where Marine recruiters would come in everyday, pushing people to join them. Most of the time, Steele had no interest in what they had to say. There eventually came a day that the Marine recruiter didn’t show up, replaced by two army recruiters. Steele, who was working in the arcade, was surprised when they approached him that day.
“I thought they were going to tag team me now that there were two of them,” Steele said. “They were on their break, so they changed a couple times and played some of the games. Right before they left, one of them came up to me and asked if I had thought about what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. He handed me his business card and left. That little seed resonated with me because it wasn’t a high-pressure sales tactic.”
As a result, Steele sprouted that seed into becoming a member of the military. Prior to joining, he had always wanted to stay close to home. Traveling to 11 countries later, Steele had found his calling.
Steele was a combat military policeman stationed in Fort Meade, Maryland during the Gulf War era. When they commenced operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, he rescued several American soldiers from a minefield.
From there, Steele and his unit worked on peace talks before the end of the war. Upon arriving, the Iraqi Republican Guard was there with Russian T-72 tanks on the scene.
“Once we showed up, they all turned around and left because they didn’t want any part of that,” Steele said. “We actually got a little recognition for it. They picked us to work on the security for the peace talks.”
Following his military career, Steele served as a police officer in Michigan City for 22 years. Additionally, he was a SWAT officer for 20 years in his career. He served on the Indiana Department of Homeland Security’s District 1 Strike Team as a team leader and co-commander.
In 2014, Steele retired from the police department. He became affiliated with the insurance and auto industry. Today, he works for United Way Northwest Indiana. Steele enjoys this position for allowing him to continue serving the community through unique projects.
Steele appreciates sharing his stories of working with the military and law enforcement. When he brought it up while performing a roof inspection, the gentleman considered the possibility of Steele having a servant’s heart.
“The man was a youth pastor,” Steele said. “He said that I had been serving the country and local communities my entire adult life. Safety and security had always been something ingrained in me, but I had never really thought about it until this gentleman brought it to my attention.”
Throughout Steele’s journey, the biggest part in allowing him to hold various military and law enforcement positions has been the training process.
“I’ve spent more than three quarters of my career in these fields training,” Steele said. “I tell a lot of police officers it’s the most important part of the job. You have to be vigilant and make sure you know how to handle each situation.”
Steele plans to continue helping the community as much as he can. He’s all about spending time with family and having fun.