Steve Russell

Steve Russell served 21 years in the United States Army as an infantry officer, deploying operationally to Kosovo, Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Iraq. During his command of the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, he was widely covered during the first year of the Iraq war by TIME, CNN, Fox News, ABC, CBS, NBC, AP and Reuters. He and his unit were featured in BBC Panorama’s Saddam on the Run documentary as well as Discovery’s Ace in the Hole. He has also been the subject of numerous books and publications. Russell retired from the Army in 2006 to return to his native state of Oklahoma, where he has advocated nationally for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.

He is the Chairman and Founder of Vets for Victory, an organization that works to better the lives of America’s military men and women.

As a sought after speaker, Russell draws upon personal and unit experience to share practical leadership techniques, problem solving and decision-making under pressure.

Through expert storytelling, he captivates audiences with his recounting of the hunt and capture of Saddam Hussein while inspiring them with a message of hope and patriotism.

Russell is the author of We Got Him! A Memoir of the Hunt and Capture of Saddam Hussein. The late Robin Moore, author of The Green Berets and The French Connection praised Russell’s book as “an extraordinary personal glimpse of the war. A monumental credit to himself, his troops, and the United States of America,” while General Tommy Franks calls it “a moving, gripping account of one of the most remarkable achievements of soldiering in a generation.”

Russell is a featured speaker at events across the United States, in Canada, and in Europe. He lives in Oklahoma with his wife and five children and also serves in the Oklahoma Senate.