Lt. Col. Heffner graduated from The University of the Cumberlands, in Williamsburg, Kentucky, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army Chemical Corps January 20, 2003. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Social Work and Public Health and has since earned his Master of Environmental Management from Webster University.
Heffner’s Field Grade assignments include: J35 Planner/ LNO to MARCOM for Joint Force Command Norfolk (NATO) in Norfolk, VA; XVIII Airborne Corps Chemical Officer, XVIIII Airborne Corps HHBn XO and S3 and 82d Airborne Division CBRNE Chief at Fort Bragg, NC; Security Force Advisor Team Senior Advisor with 4BDE 4ID in Fort Carson, CO; Operations Officer for Army Test and Evaluation Command in Suffolk, VA. His Company Grade assignments include: Army Test and Evaluation LNO to Joint Test and Evaluation Suffolk in Suffolk, VA; Company Commander of Burlington Recruiting Company in Burlington, VT; Battalion Chemical Officer for 2-12 Infantry Battalion in Fort Carson, CO and 1-506th Infantry Battalion at Camp Greaves, S. Korea.
Deployments include: 12 months as the Joint Security Coordination Center Chief in support of Combined Joint Task Force OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait; 5 months as the Combined Joint Task Force OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE HHBn XO at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait; 9 months as a Security Force Advisory Team Senior Advisor at Forward Operating Base Apache and Kandahar Air Field in Afghanistan; 7 months as an Army Test and Evaluation Command Forward Operations Assessment Team Leader at Camp Al Udeid, Qatar and Afghanistan; 15 months as a Battle Captain and Battalion Chemical Officer for 2-12 Infantry Battalion at Forward Operating Base Falcon in Iraq; and 12 months as a Battle Captain and Battalion Chemical officer for 1-506th Infantry Battalion in Camp Habbaniyah Iraq.
LTC Heffner’s awards and decorations include: Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Defense Meritorious Service Medal w/ 1OLC, Meritorious Service Medal w/ 3OLC, Joint Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal w/ 4OLC, Combat Action Badge, Basic Airborne Badge, Air Assault Badge, Recruiter Badge.