Steve Banach has been selected to become a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as an Outstanding American. Banach is a retired United States Army Infantry Colonel.
The Class of 2024 for the NWHOF will be inducted during the 47th Honors Weekend on May 31-June 1 in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Originally from Port Jervis, New York, Banach started his college wrestling career at Clemson where he was an ACC finalist as a freshman. Steve transferred to Iowa to wrestle with his two brothers Ed and Lou Banach for legendary coach Dan Gable. Steve was a three-time letterwinner at Iowa from 1980-82 and graduated from Iowa.
Steve joined the United States Army where he had a distinguished career as an Infantry Colonel for the legendary Rangers.
Hall of Fame writer Mike Chapman told me about how tough Steve Banach was. Ed Banach had told Mike that their older brother Steve was tougher than they (Ed and Lou) were. That is saying a lot coming from an Olympic Gold medalist freestyle wrestler.
I briefly spoke to Steve last season at an Iowa Wrestling meet. He liked my Iowa Wrestling hat. Steve would be around 63 years old and looks like he could still walk out on the mat or a battlefield and kick some *ss.
In 2015 the Banach brothers released a book called Uncommon Bonds.
To order Uncommon Bonds:
From themat.com:
The Outstanding American award is presented to those individuals who have used the disciplines of wrestling to launch notable careers in other walks of life, such as science and technology, business and industry, government and the military, and the arts and humanities.
Retired United States Army Infantry Colonel Steve Banach began wrestling in the eighth grade and competed alongside his younger twin brothers Ed and Lou Banach for Port Jervis High School in Port Jervis, New York. He continued his career at Clemson University, where he was elected captain of the wrestling team as a freshman and was an Atlantic Coast Conference finalist.
Banach then decided to transfer to the University of Iowa, where his twin brothers were wrestling for Dan Gable. Steve ended his wrestling career at the 1984 Final Olympic Trials as a member of the US Army Wrestling Team. He served with distinction in the United States Army from 1983 to 2010. This period of service included deployments to six combat zones. Steve demonstrated impeccable leadership during his service in the U.S. Army. He is a Distinguished Member of the 75th Ranger Regiment and served in that special operations organization for nine years, culminating with command of the 3rd Ranger Battalion from 2001-2003.
He led U.S. Army Rangers during a historic night combat parachute assault into Afghanistan on October 19, 2001, as the “spearhead” for the Global War on Terror for the United States of America. He subsequently led U.S. Army Rangers in a second combat parachute assault into Al Anbar Province in western Iraq in 2003.
Banach served as the 11th Director of the prestigious School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS) and led the development of the U.S. Army’s Design Methodology doctrine. As a Stryker Brigade Commander, he led the development of the Company Intelligence Support Team tactics, techniques, and procedures, for the U.S. Army. He served as the lead Design Officer for the Department of the Army Cyber Information Warfare Design Planning Team. He also served as the Director of the Army Management Staff College and was responsible for the design and implementation of the US Army’s Civilian Education System.
He earned the Distinguished Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device, Bronze Star Medal for Service, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge with two awards, and the Master Parachutist Badge with two Bronze Combat Jump Stars. Banach also holds a certificate in Leadership in Crisis: Preparation and Performance, from the JFK School of Government at Harvard University.
After leaving the U.S. Army, Banach served as the CEO of the Operational Art & Strategic Initiatives Studies Group (OASIS-G) and is now the Vice-President for Strategic Planning at SOFTwarfare, LLC.
Congratulations Colonel Banach for your much deserved induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. You truly are an Outstanding American.
It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.
Go Hawks!
