Steve Rodenbaugh is a native of Medina, Ohio. He entered the Navy through the ROTC scholarship program and attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Upon graduating with a B.A. in Political Science, he was commissioned as an Ensign in May 1997. After completing primary and intermediate flight training with the VT-27 “Boomers” and advanced training with the HT-8 “Eightballers,” he earned his “Wings of Gold” and was designated as a Naval Aviator in February 1999.