Brigadier General Steve Hayden is currently assigned as the Deputy Commanding General for the 80th Training Command (The Army School System). He commissioned through ROTC at the University of Florida in 1997 after receiving a degree in animal and dairy science.
BG Hayden also holds a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in logistics from Clayton State University and a Masters in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. His military schooling includes the Engineer Officer Basic Course, Mountain Warfare School, Airborne School, Bradley Fighting Vehicles Leaders Course, Humanitarian Demining Operations Course, Infantry Officer Advance Course, Combined Arms Service Staff College, Army Intermediate Level Education, Advanced Operations Course, Faculty Development Course, Senior Transportation Officer Qualification Course, Army Theater Sustainment Course, Army Lean Six Sigma Certification Course, and Army Senior Service College.
During his military service, he served over seven years on active duty prior to transitioning to the Army Reserve. He has deployed to Kuwait, Qatar, Bosnia, Kosovo, Egypt, Afghanistan, Iraq, and a variety of stateside locations. His key assignments have included serving as the Chief of Staff of the 412th Theater Engineer Command, Commander of the 926th Engineer Brigade, Deputy Chief of Staff, G-5 of the 412th TEC, Battalion Commander or the 391st EN BN, Detachment Commander for the forward operations of the Surface Deployment and Distribution Command - Afghanistan, Senior Military Instructor for Georgia Tech ROTC, Civil Affairs CAT-A Team leader - Iraq, Officer Candidate School Senior Instructor - Ft. Benning, Director of the Mine Action Center – Bosnia, and a variety of key development company grade assignments throughout his career.
BG Hayden’s awards include the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one campaign star, the Iraq Campaign Medal with two campaign stars, two Bronze Star Medals, a Meritorious Service Medal, three Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, two Army Reserve Component Achievement Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, two Armed Forces Expeditionary Medals, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, two Overseas Service Ribbons, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Mobilization Device, the NATO Medal, and the Army Parachutist Badge.
In his civilian capacity, he left 13 years of service to Chiquita Brand International in 2016 to acquire and start a couple of small businesses. BG Hayden resides in Ft. Myers, Florida where he is the president and CEO of Bo’s Electric and The Gas Company. BG Hayden and his wife are the very proud parents of five awesome children, and they are very active in their community and church.