Had multiple injuries. Seriously wounded on 27.05.1943 in Belgorod, lightly wounded 06.08.1943 near Poltava, severely wounded 15.04.1944 in Ternopil, easily wounded 08.08.1944 in the village of Kuzmina, Drohobych Region, easily wounded 15.03.1945 on the 1st Ukrainian front. Member of the Komsomol since June 1943. Komsomol ticket 19352576. Participant of the Great Patriotic War since 1943: April 1943 - October 1943, the Southern Front, October 1943 - January 1944, the 4th Ukrainian Front, January 1944 - April 1945, the 1st Ukrainian Front, from April 1945, the 4th Ukrainian Front. The first award he received at the age of 19, the Order of Glory of the 3rd degree. During the counterattack of enemy infantry and tanks in the area of Mokre on 22.08.1944, despite the heavy shelling of the enemy artillery of the 3rd Battery, the Red Army soldier Stepkin, under enemy fire, provided rapid loading of the gun. The counterattack of enemy tanks and infantry was repulsed, while 6 machine-gun points, 2 observation posts and up to 25 enemy soldiers and officers were destroyed. He received the Medal For Bravery (30.01.1945) for the battles in the Cracow area. From 12.01.1945 through 20.01.1945 comrade Styopkin while in combat formations of attacking infantry and being exposed to rifle and machine-gun fire of the enemy, corrected fire of our artillery, at the same time discovered one 81 mm mortar battary and 2 machine-gun points of the enemy, which, according to provided parameters, were promptly destroyed. He was awarded the Order of Glory 2nd degree by the government on 21.05.1945. In battles to break through the enemy's defenses beyond the Oder River in the area of Schneidenburg and the subsequent fighting on the approaches to the city of Leobschutz from 15.03.1945 to 24.03.1945, being in the infantry battle formations, conducted continuous monitoring of the enemy's actions, despite heavy rifle and machine-gun fire, discovered one 119 mm mortar battery, two 105 mm artillery batteries, four machine-gun points, which were suppressed and partially destroyed by our artillery fire, which made possible for our advancing infantry to move forward. In May 1945, during the breakthrough of the enemy's defense and making a raid behind enemy lines in the Prague area from 04.05.1945 to 09.05.1945, the commander of the intelligence Department, comrade Stepkin, while scouting the location of the enemy forces, found one enemy armored personnel carrier in an ambush, and blew up with an anti-tank grenade and destroyed the crew of the enemy armored personnel carrier with an automatic burst. For this feat, Ivan was awarded the Order of the Red Star on 24.05.1945.