Charles Steiner, a Silver Legacy Life Member of Benjamin Franklin VFW Post 605 in Paris, France, was reelected and installed on 1 April 2023 as the Post Quartermaster.

During his 28-year career with the US Air Force, Comrade Steiner served in a variety of leadership roles, first as a Military Airlift Pilot, and later in the Research & Development and political fields. He earned VFW eligibility during the Vietnam War while flying missions rescuing downed pilots and aircrew.

After Vietnam, he advanced to the rescue wing safety officer responsible for Multi-engine aircraft. He went on to receive a Master’s degree in Logistics Management and then entered the procurement field in the Cargo System Program office working on projects involving C-130s, modifying C-141s, new presidential aircraft, and buying used civilian aircraft for the medevac mission in the US.

Following Joint Command and Staff School at Norfolk Va. he worked at the Pentagon, in the newly establish Air Force Research and Develop International (RDI) office responsible for the sale of state of the art technology systems to our wealthy Friends.  Specifically F5s to Saudi Arabia and the AWAC for NATO. He then transferred to the State Department where he managed weapons programs for Israel and the nuclear materials treaty with the UK. 

After National War College at Fort Mcnair in Washington DC, he was assigned to the Air Force Headquarters Research and Development Command at Andrews Air Force Base Maryland to establish a New Concepts office in search of technology to support the Future Air Force mission – a mini DARPA. Before he could complete this task he was picked to take over the R & D office for the Department of Energy, Military Application Division in Germantown, Maryland.  In this capacity, he was responsible for the over site of the weapons labs: Livermore, Los Alamos, Sandia and the nuclear weapon test site in Nevada.  Significant achievements include the selection of the war head for the new Trident Missile and participation in the Reagan Star Wars program.

Comrade Steiner capped his military career at SHAPE, where he was the Science Advisor to SACEUR. After retirement in 1988, he remained in Belgium, consulting for several US companies until 1998 when he retired to France. 

In 2001, he joined the VFW Paris Post as a Life Member and has held the Post Service Officer position, Department Chaplain position and the Post Quartermaster position, and is responsible for the Post membership.