"The Brave Collection" Challenge Coin - Douw Steyn HC SM MMM PSN

"The Brave Collection" is a limited series of challenge coins where the recipients of various bravery awards in the SADF or SAP are honored. Each coin is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity signed by the decorated recipient. A limited number of only 50 coins were manufactured. The coin diameter is 50mm.

Daniel (Douw) Steyn joined the Army in 1974 after completing high school, and was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers in 1975. His first operational deployment came later that year during Operation SAVANNAH, the South African incursion into Angola. His actions in clearing mines under fire during the fighting at 'Bridge 14' earned him the award of the Honoris Crux decoration for gallantry. He was later mentioned in dispatches for other actions during that operation.

Steyn then applied to join the Special Forces, qualifying as an operator in 1977 and served 15 years as a Special Forces operator, specializing in advanced demolitions and sabotage techniques. Joining 1 Reconnaisance Commando in Durban, he led the operational Bravo Group for the next four years. The unit's most important operations during this period were Operation AMAZON, the attack on the oil facilities in Lobito, for which he was awarded the Medal for Military Merit, and Operation KERSLIG which targeted the oil refinery in Luanda, for which he was awarded the Southern Cross Medal. He was also instrumental in training the anti-communist resistance movements in Angola (UNITA) and Mozambique (RENAMO) in the use of explosives, mines and in sabotage operations. In 1981 he was appointed as the operational commander of the Raiding Group of 4 Reconnaissance Commando, the seaborne Special Forces unit based in Langebaan in the Cape Province. There he qualifying as an attack diver and saboteur and lead a number of seaborne operations to destroy strategic military targets in Angola and Mozambique. After ten years in this demanding role, he was transferred to Special Forces HQ in Pretoria as the Research and Development Officer, assisting with the development of operational tactics and of specialised equipment research. In 1995 he was appointed as the Chief of Staff of 71 Brigade in Pretoria.

He retired from the Defence Force in 1996 as a Lieutenant Colonel, and joined a major South African security company as part of their senior management in Durban. Working in the private sector has given him more quality time to spend with his family.

The "Douw Steyn coin" is #4 in the series.