BG Steve Michael was born in Guyana, South America in 1964, immigrated to the United States in 1979 and was commissioned into the Infantry in 1988. His military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced courses, the Combined Arms and Services Staff School, and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. He holds a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from the United 
States Military Academy and completed the Operations Research Systems Analysis Military Applications Course at Fort Lee, Virginia. He was the Senior Service College Fellow to Columbia University for FY11. Prior to serving as the Columbia Fellow, he was the Regimental Tactical Officer for 4th Regiment in the United States Corps of Cadets at West Point. 

BG Michael began his career at Fort Drum as a Rifle Platoon Leader, Mortar Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer and then as the Battalion S4 in 2nd Battalion 87th Infantry, 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division. Immediately after the Career Course, he served as the Battalion S3 for the Columbus Recruiting Battalion in Columbus, Ohio. Next, he served as the Battalion S4 and Charlie Company Commander for 2nd Battalion 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. He then served as the S3 for 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade. Later, he commanded 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment at Fort Carson and 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light) at Fort Drum. Afterwards, BG Michael served as the Deputy Director for the Pakistan Afghanistan and Transregional Threats Coordination Cell on the Joint Staff, J5. BG Michael then served as the Deputy Commanding General for Operations, 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii and as the G-3/5/7 for U.S. Army Pacific. Most recently, BG Michael served as the Deputy Director for Strategic Planning and Policy (J5), U.S. Inda-Pacific Command at Camp Smith, Hawaii. 

BG Michael has a diverse operational background; from Fort Drum he took part in Operation Restore Hope in Somalia, as the Battalion Logistics Officer for 2-87 Infantry. As the Commander of Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, he deployed as part of Operation Desert Focus to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia to secure American citizens and forward deployed units in response to the Khobar Towers Bombing. As Operations Officer for 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vicenza, Italy, he deployed on two back-to-back operational missions; Operation Rapid Guardian in Kosovo and Operation Iraqi Freedom I, where the Battalion conducted a night combat parachute assault onto Bashur Drop Zone in Northern Iraq and helped secure the city of Kirkuk. 

Next, as ground planner in the Southern European Task Force's Joint Planning Group with the responsibility for Sub-Saharan Africa, BG Michael deployed to Ghana and Nigeria as part of Joint Task Force Liberia to help the Economic Community of West African States stabilize Liberia as President Charles Taylor was exiled to Nigeria. He then served as Aide de Camp to Lieutenant General Kip Ward, then the Deputy Commander for United States Army Europe and 7th Army; with Lieutenant General Ward, BG Michael deployed to Israel for ten months as part of the inaugural Israeli-Palestinian Security Coordinator Mission to help prepare the Palestinian Authority take control of Gaza.

As the Commander of 2-12 Infantry, BG Michael deployed for 15 months to Al Doura, Baghdad as part of the surge. In 2013, BG Michael deployed as the 1st Brigade Combat Team Commander to Regional Command - East on the Security Force Advise and Assist mission in order to enable the Afghan National Security Forces to stand up, fight, and win in Ghazni, Afghanistan. As Deputy Director for the Pakistan-Afghanistan and Transregional Threats Coordination Cells, BG Michael enabled the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff best military advice on plans and policy for Afghanistan - Pakistan and Transregional Threats. As Deputy Commander for Operations, 25th ID, BG Michael enabled the Commander, 25th ID and his subordinate Commanders to get their formations ready for the crucible of Ground Combat and Operations, Activities and Investments throughout the Inda-Pacific. As the G-3/5n for U.S. Army Pacific, was responsible for driving and synchronizing all Army Operations, Activities and Investments and connecting the "The Network" - the operations, plans, intelligence, Component, Combined and Inter-Agency enterprise to deliver results. Similarly, he did likewise as the Deputy J5 for the Inda-Pacific Command in the areas of Strategy, Plans, & Policy.