MSG Steve Bleigh, U.S. Army Special Forces, Afghanistan, Iraq, Gulf War, Somalia

Steve Bleigh is the son and grandson of Army veterans. He joined the U.S. Army in 1986, fully expecting to be an infantryman throughout his service. When he returned to civilian life eighteen years later, Bleigh had spent 14 years in Army Special Forces and was a veteran of Afghanistan, Iraq, the Gulf War, and the conflict in Somalia.

In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, MSG Bleigh tells us about his service in the Gulf War with the 82nd Airborne Division and the lessons he learned there that helped the rest of his years in uniform. Then he talks about selection and qualifying for Special Forces, being deployed as a weapons sergeant in Somalia, how he responded when the mission in Somalia turned deadly, and training to be a medic after returning home.

Following the 9/11 Al Qaeda terrorist attacks, Bleigh and ODA 595 were among the first U.S. units to set foot in Afghanistan. Now often referred to as the Horse Soldiers, the unit teamed up with elements of the Northerrn Alliance to force the Taliban from power. Bleigh reflects on the toughest fighting in Afghanistan and being one of very few medics on the ground there.

Finally, he details his two tours in Iraq, including the initial invasion and the early, successful hunt for key enemy figures. He then describes a very different second tour, one marked by relentless enemy IED's and maddening rules of engagement.