John Heisler Receives Army ROTC Award

John J. Heisler, Washington, recently was presented the George Catlett Marshall Army ROTC Award.

The prestigious award is given to only 273 individuals nationwide out of a total of about 7,000 senior cadets in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program.

The award recognizes outstanding students in military studies and leadership in the Army ROTC.

Heisler was presented the award during the 2012 Army Cadet Command George C. Marshall Awards and Leadership Seminar April 15-18 at the Virginia Military Institute.

The award is named after Marshall, who served as U.S. Army chief of staff, general of the Army, secretary of state and secretary of defense.

Heisler currently attends Truman State University, where he is the battalion commander of the ROTC cadet core. He will complete the ROTC program this month.

During the academic honors award ceremony at the university May 4, he received the Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Military Service from the School of Social and Cultural Studies. He also was recognized for winning the Marshall award.

Heisler is expected to graduate in the spring of 2013. When he graduates, he will be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army. After graduation, he hopes to fly helicopters for the Army.

While attending Truman, Heisler earned the highest physical fitness score in the history of the university.

In 2008, he joined the Missouri National Guard and is still currently serving with the guard.

He completed basic and advanced individual training in the fall of 2009 to become a combat engineer. He also completed airborne and air assault training.

He is a 2009 graduate of St. Francis Borgia Regional High School in Washington and is the son of Terry and Jeri Heisler, Washington.