Niobrara County School District Hall of Fame, Class of 2025
ALUMNI HALL OF FAME, STEVE BARIBEAU
The Unstoppable Spirit of Steve Baribeau - A Career of Service
Steve was a well-rounded student at NCHS, graduating in 1966. He was a member of the
choir, had key roles in two stage productions, won several state debate medals, and was a
member of the National Honor Society. He was also a key member of the 1966 Tiger Football
Team that won a co-District championship. Playing wingback and corner, he was a team
captain and was voted MVP by his teammates. Steve was a member of the NCHS track squad
placing second at District in the high hurdles and third at state as a member of the 880-yard
Relay Team. He was a starter for the wrestling team all four years and was a team captain of
the wrestling team which placed second in 1965 and won the State Championship in 1966,
NCHS’s first ever State Championship in any sport. Baribeau was a state champion at 145
pounds in 1965 and 1966. He also won the Casper Invitational in 1965 and 1966 (All Classes).
He was offered several collegiate scholarships for wrestling but opted instead to accept an
appointment to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point , NY.
At West Point , he competed on the Army wrestling team and in 1968, after a very successful dual season and placing second at the Coast Guard Academy Open Invitational , he was selected to wrestle in the 1968 NCAA Tournament . A shoulder injury in his junior year hampered Steve’s wrestling career.
After his 1970 graduation from West Point , Steve selected the Infantry Branch and was
assigned to Fort Benning, Georgia where he attended and graduated from the Infantry
Office ’s Basic Course, the Airborne Course, and Ranger School. He was assigned as a
Weapons Platoon Leader in A Company, 2/504, 82nd Infantry Division. While at Fort Bragg
only a few months, his platoon won the 82nd Division weapons platoon competition. Steve
also graduated from the rigorous jump master course. He then attended and graduated from
Jungle Warfare School in Panama enroute to Vietnam where he was assigned as the
Reconnaissance Platoon Leader for 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division in Phu Bai. While serving in Vietnam, Steve was awarded the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Air
Medal , and Combat Infantryman’s Badge.
Following his tour in Vietnam, Steve attended and graduated from the Rotary Wing Aviation
Course. He was then assigned to the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (ACR) in Fulda , Germany on the East-West German Border. As a Troop Commander and Intelligence Staf f Of ficer (S2) in 1st Squadron, 11th ACR he was a key player in the development of integrated and comprehensive border defense plans (Mobile Defense) that were credited with preventing the Warsaw Pact from attacking NATO in the early seventies.
Also, during his time in the 11th ACR, he accumulated over 1200 hours of helicopter border surveillance hours along the Iron Curtain, the East-West German Border, eventually becoming the senior border pilot in the Regiment.
Steve’s next assignment was the Armor Advanced Course at Fort Knox, Kentucky followed by an assignment with 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC.
While there, his assignments included C Troop Commander and Squadron Operations Officer
(S3). He also completed his first master’s degree with Webster University in Management An avid runner, Steve was appointed by the Division Commander as the 82nd AB Division Marathon Team Captain. He completed 10 marathons; his best time was 2 hours and 50 minutes. Steve also accumulated over 75 military combat training jumps and was awarded the Master Parachutist Badge.
Steve was then selected for and graduated from the Command and General Staff Officers
Course (CGSC) at Ft Leavenworth, KS, on the Commandant ’s List. He was selected to attend
the prestigious School for Advanced Military Studies (SAMS) where he received his second
master ’s degree.
Steve was assigned as the 5th Corps Aviation Officer in Frankfurt Germany. While there, he
fielded the first Apache Attack Helicopter and CH-47D Heavy Lift Battalions in Europe/NATO.
He was a key member of the V Corps warfighting staff and was the first Operations Of ficer (S-3) and Executive Officer (XO) of the newly formed 12th Aviation Brigade, a key force in V Corps and NATO’s Warfighting Defense Plans. Steve was awarded the Legion of Merit, given for exceptional service and achievement, with V Corps and the 12th Aviation Brigade. Steve was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel while in V Corps.
Steve was assigned back to Ft Leavenworth, KS. as the Senior Instructor and Author for the
Tactics Course at the CGSC. Next, he was assigned as the Senior Command and Control
Observer Controller for the Army ’s very successful Army Battle Command Training Program that trained Brigade, Division, and Corps warfighting commanders and their staff in high intensity warfighting leading up to the Gulf War. Steve was promoted to Full Colonel,
completed the Army War College, and was selected to attend the Inspector General (IG)
Course in Washington, DC. He was assigned as the IG for the Ohio National Guard (Army and
Air Force). Following a very productive IG tour Steve had bilateral hip replacements, the
result of lingering hip injuries received while conducting airborne combat training with the
82nd Airborne Division.
Usually, the Army would discharge someone following bilateral artificial hip replacement;
however, Steve was retained in service and given directorship of the Training and Doctrine
Command (TRADOC), Program Integration Office for the Army Battle Command Systems
(TPIO -ABCS).
For the next 4 years, he was instrumental in the initial development and successful digital
integration of combat and combat support command and control systems across the entire US Army, individual soldier to Army level, and its interface with the other Services. This complete modernization of the Army ’s Command and control systems proved indispensable during the Gulf War and remains the architecture of Army command and control to this day.
For his service, Steve was awarded his second Legion of Merit.
In 1998 Steve retired as a Full Colonel . He accepted employment with Science Applications Corporation and for a year worked with the US Army National Simulations Center to integrate training simulations into the newly developed Army Battle Command and Control System which simplified combat simulations training.
Steve then accepted employment at Sprint Corporation in Kansas City, KS. Here he led
hardware and software developmental teams working on cutting edge cellular
communications programs. He then accepted the position as Sprint Senior Manager for all
Sprint Offshore Communications Contracts with US Military Services. This involved providing communications systems to Army and Air Force contingents from England to Kyrgyzstan, largely focused on war torn Bosnia and the Middle East.
Steve retired from Sprint in 2006 and accepted work from several defense contractors as a
subject matter expert /consultant from 2006-2015, focusing on retraining US Army and NATO commanders and staff in high to mid intensity warfare. Service to your country is the greatest reward one can pursue! Allons (forward)!
Family members:
Wife: Margaret (Margy) Rose Baribeau
Daughter: Stacy Shipley
Son: Kevin Baribeau
Mother: Vivian Baribeau (deceased)
Father: Robert Baribeau (deceased)
Brothers: Michael , Alan, Tom (all graduates of NCHS)
Sisters: Michele, Christine, Susan (deceased) (all graduates of NCHS)