Rolf Steiner is a retired professional mercenary, born in Munich, Bavaria on January 3, 1933.
He began his military career as a French Foreign Legion paratrooper and saw combat in Vietnam, Egypt, and Algeria.
Steiner rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel commanding the 4th Commando Brigade in the Biafran Army during the Nigerian Civil War, and later served with the Anyanya rebels in southern Sudan.