Colonel Steven A. Epkins was commissioned as a Military Intelligence Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School Class 13-69 at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, 2 May 1969. His first duty assignment was as an Intelligence Officer in Charge of the District Intelligence Operations Coordination Center, Van Ninh District, Military Advisory Team 46, Military Assistance Command Vietnam, Republic of Vietnam.

His subsequent duty assignments were: Company Executive Officer and Headquarters Platoon Leader, Alpha Company, 18^th Combat Engineer Battalion, Fort Devens, Massachusetts; Battalion S-2, 18^th Combat Engineer Battalion, Fort Devens, Massachusetts; Installation Intelligence Officer, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters, Fort Devens, Massachusetts; Range Control Officer, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters, Fort Devens, Massachusetts; Battalion S-2, United States Army Special Forces Thailand, Lop Buri, Thailand; Assistant Battalion S-3, 313^th Army Security Agency Battalion, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Company Commander, 358^th Army Security Agency (Electronic Warfare) Company, 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Brigade S-2, 3^rd Brigade, 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Intelligence Officer, J-2, United States Forces Korea, Seoul, South Korea; Chief, Electronic Warfare and Command Briefing Officer, G3, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Battalion S-3, 313^th Military Intelligence Battalion (Combat Electronic Warfare and Intelligence), 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Company Commander, Military Intelligence Company, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Chief, Imagery Systems, J-2, United States Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida; Special Security Officer, J-2, United States Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida; Deputy Brigade Commander, 207^th Military Intelligence Brigade, Ludwigsburg, Germany; Support Battalion Commander, Field Station Berlin, During the fall of the Berlin Wall, Berlin, Germany; Division G-2, 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq, During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm; Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, United States Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

His military education includes: United States Army Command and General Staff College; United States Army War College; United States Army Executive Management Course; Defense Language Institute: Vietnamese, Thai and German Language Courses.

His highest military awards include the Legion of Merit w/ One Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star w/ One Oak Leaf Cluster, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with Two Oak Leaf Clusters, United States Army Commendation Medal with One Oak Leaf Cluster, United States Army Achievement Medal with One Oak Leaf Cluster, United States Army Good Conduct Medal, World War II Army of Occupation Medal, National Defense Service Medal with One Bronze Star, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with Three Bronze Stars, Southwest Asia Service Medal with Two Bronze Stars, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Republic of Vietnam Medal of Honor First Class, Republic of Vietnam Staff Service Medal First Class, Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with 1960 Device, Saudi Arabian Liberation of Kuwait Medal, Kuwait – Kuwait Liberation Medal, United States Army Commander’s Award for Public Service, Special Forces Tab, Master Parachute Badge, Thailand Master Parachute Badge, Egyptian Master Parachute Badge, and German Master Parachute Badge.