[9] Steele earned a reputation for superior small arms marksmanship; at an August 1906 Army-wide contest, he placed first in the rifle competition.

[12] From 1911 to 1914, Steele served on the staff of the Eastern Coast Artillery District, where his duties included oversight of construction projects at Fort Totten, New York.

[17] Later in 1917 he returned to the United States and was assigned to duty in California as commander the Los Angeles Quartermaster Depot.

[22] In June 1919, Steele was appointed to command the 31st Coast Artillery Brigade with headquarters at Fort Winfield Scott, California.

[27] In 1922, Steele left Panama for assignment to the staff of the 1st Coast Artillery District, which was based in Boston, Massachusetts.

[32] In January 1935, Steele was appointed as the Army's Chief of Coast Artillery, succeeding William F. Hase, and was promoted to major general.

[34] After retiring from the Army, Steele resided in San Diego, California[35] and served as president of the Coast Artillery Association.

[37] After years of abandonment, in 1995 the Peaks Island Land Preserve was formed to purchase the area and maintain it as a public space.