Cmdr. Jonathan Heesch, NOAA, a MOAA Life member, said his family’s history of service, like for many servicemembers, influenced his decision to serve. His great-grandfather served in the Army in World War I. His grandfather served in the Army Air Corps in World War II. And his uncle served in the Navy during the Vietnam War.

“My grandfather always spoke highly of his time in service,” Heesch said. “My uncle loved his time in the Navy and time at sea during Vietnam. And I recognized that [uniformed service] is something that would help me in the long run and give me perspective and get me out of South Dakota.”

He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1998 and was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines. In 2003, he changed his military occupational specialty to meteorological and oceanographic forecaster and supported the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in combat operations in Iraq before completing his bachelor’s degree in natural science and mathematics and an associate degree in meteorology. He said his experience in Iraq changed the course of his career.

“With my family, I decided it was time to do something else. That’s when I found the NOAA Corps,” he said.

In 2007, he completed the NOAA Basic Officer Training Class and has since served aboard multiple NOAA ships in navigation, operations, and executive officer roles.

“I like being at sea,” Heesch said. “It’s my passion. Being from a place like South Dakota, I didn’t know what the ocean was. As a Marine, I went out on Navy ships and thought it was amazing. It was part of the reason I went into NOAA — to be on ship and be at sea. I love being on the water.”

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A highlight of his career, he said, was serving as commander of the NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker, which operated from Canada down to Mexico doing fisheries research.

“I took command of the ship Sept. 11, 2020,” he said. “We were under COVID-19 protocol the entire period of command. It was a life-altering experience for me.”

In addition to his at-sea assignments, Heesch also has served in a number of shore-based roles, including as the assistant chief of the NOAA Corps Officer Training Center at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn. Today, he is executive officer of the National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Science and Technology, where he works with senior scientific leadership ensuring they get the information and oversight they need for critical scientific missions.

Heesch said his service in both the Marine Corps and NOAA has given him “a unique perspective on life.”

“I’ve learned so much in my 26 years ...  I wouldn’t change a thing,” he said. “It was painful at times … we PCS’d 14 times in 26 years, but it makes you appreciate the little things. If you don’t get out of your comfort zone, how will you know what you’re actually capable of?”