CDR Heather S. Dent

Chief Staff Officer, NAVAL BEACH GROUP ONE (NBG 1)

31 July 2023 A native of Slidell, Louisiana, Commander Dent enlisted in the Navy as an Electronics Technician in 1997 and completed two enlisted tours as a Radar Maintenance Technician at Naval Air Station, Brunswick, ME and aboard USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN 72).  She was then selected for the Seaman to Admiral (STA-21) program.  She graduated from the University of South Florida in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and earned a Master of Business Administration from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2014. 

Afloat, her division officer tours were aboard the frigates USS INGRAHAM (FFG 61) as the Combat Information Center Officer and then aboard USS RODENY M. DAVIS (FFG 60) as the Damage Control Assistant.  Her department head tours included Weapons Officer aboard the destroyer USS HOWARD (DDG 83) and Operations Officer aboard USS MOUNT WHITNEY (LCC 20).  During her sea tours, deployments included support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, Counter Narcotics, and support to THIRD, FIFTH, SIXTH, and SEVENTH Fleet area of responsibilities. 

Ashore, Commander Dent completed an instructor tour at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps in Troy, NY, a tour as Assistant Operations Officer at Task Force 76 in Okinawa, Japan, and a tour as Executive Officer for Assault Craft Unit FIVE, Camp Pendleton, CA, before reporting to Naval Beach Group ONE as Chief Staff Officer.

Commander Dent’s personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (three awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (five awards) as well as multiple unit and service awards.