Jenness F. Steele, Lt. Col., U.S. Army, Camden, is a 1995 West Point graduate who has demonstrated both gallantry in aviation combat and leadership as a pilot and technician. She has spent 75% of her career in Army Aviation Maintenance, which is her specialty and favorite field.
Upon returning from Afghanistan in August 2003, Jenness served a few months in the Corps level Aviation Maintenance Battalion Support Operations section before moving to Fort Knox where she served for two years as Aviation Maintenance Observer Controller/Trainer Team. Chief. Her assignment supported numerous National Guard and Reserve Component Aviation units throughout the 1st Army Area of Responsibility.
In 2007, as a Major, Jenness was deployed to Iraq for 15.5 months with the Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. As battalion commander, she flew Chinook helicopters (CH-47) on both support and combat missions under night vision "goggles" conditions throughout northern Iraq and the Brigade area. She is a qualified Chinook Maintenance Test Pilot (MTP).
Jenness has spent the past year working as a rotary wing planner for actions in the Arabian Peninsula for Special Operations Command Central at McDill AFB in Florida. Most of her recent activities are classified.
Lt. Col. Steele's, four Meritorious Service Medals speak of her exceptionally meritorious service", her professionalism, her commitment to excellence, and her devotion to duty.
