Commanding Officer
COLONEL DAVID S. HEESACKER
U.S. MARINE CORPS
Col. “Steve” Heesacker is from Boone, NC and initially enlisted in the Marine Corps in August 1974. He held the Military Occupational Specialties of Infantryman; Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defense Specialist; and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician before leaving active duty in 1980 to attend college. He graduated from Appalachian State University in December of 1983 receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a double major in Management and Information Systems.
He was commissioned through the Platoon Leaders Course (PLC) in January of 1984 and after completion of The Basic School in Quantico, VA; was assigned to 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, Camp Lejeune, NC. After graduating from the Combat Engineer Officer’s Course, he was assigned as a Platoon Commander and deployed to the Mediterranean with the 26th Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU) from November 1985 to June 1986. Upon returning from the deployment, he was reassigned as the Heavy Equipment Platoon Commander.
In March of 1987, Col Heesacker was transferred to the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, Okinawa, Japan, where he was assigned as the Engineer Officer for 1st Light Anti-Aircraft Missile Battalion (LAAM). After leaving Okinawa, he served as the Facilities Officer, Base Operations Section, 4th Marine Division, New Orleans, LA, until departing to attend Amphibious Warfare School in Quantico, VA during August of 1990.
He was subsequently assigned to 8th Engineer Support Battalion in June 1991 where he the Commanding Officer of Company A and later Headquarters and Service Company. Other temporary assignments during this tour included serving as the S-4 Officer for the Combat Service Support Detachment, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force – Dade County, FL that provided disaster relief during Hurricane Andrew; and Operations Officer for 2nd FSSG (Forward) during operation Battle Griffin ‘93 in Norway.
In June of 1993, Col. Heesacker was transferred to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN where he served as the Marine Officer Instructor and spent a summer as an Officer Candidate School Platoon Commander. Later selected to attend the Naval War College, he graduated in June of 1997 and returned to Camp Lejeune as the II Marine Expeditionary Force Engineer Officer. In July of 1999, he transferred to the Marine Corps Engineer School where he served as the Director of Instruction and Executive Officer.
He transferred to U.S. Marine Forces, Korea in July 2001 and served as the Assistant Chief of Staff, G-4 until joining the 2nd Marine Division as the Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff, G-4 in July 2002. From November 2002-March 2003, he deployed with the Combined, Joint Task Force Horn of Africa where he was the Director and Deputy Director of Logistics. Upon return, he served as the 2nd Marine Division G-4 Operations Officer until resuming the Deputy G-4 billet in December 2003. He assumed command of Marine Wing Support Squadron-273 on June 4th 2004 in Iraq and gave up command in June 2005 after being selected to attend the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF) where he graduated in June 2006. He most recently served as the Director of Logistics for Special Operations Command Europe from July 2006-May 2008.
Col Heesacker holds a Master of Science Degree in Management from Troy State University, a Master of Arts Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College and a Master of Arts in National Resource Strategy from ICAF.