Heather Ann Herbert’s remarkable career performed an “about, face,” after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 on the twin towers of New York City.

 

Her leadership skills shone through early. During her two years at Santa Ana College, she served as student body president and student trustee. After graduating in the spring of 1993 with an Associate of Arts degree in political science, she transferred to California State Polytechnic Institute Pomona. At Cal Poly, Heather continued her study of political science and graduated with honors. While earning this degree, she also had the opportunity to spend a summer as an intern in Washington, DC with Congressman Christopher Cox.

 

Heather earned her Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School, and in 1998 became a member of the California Bar. In law school she studied human rights with Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. The experience under his direction prompted her to make some bold career choices down the road.

 

Heather accepted a job with PacifiCare Health Systems in Cypress, CA, where she specialized in technology contracts. After realizing her longing for public service, she started looking for another avenue to involve herself in the community. She decided on the US Army Reserves, and in the summer of 2001, she was commissioned a 1st lieutenant in the US Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps.  For the next six months she worked Monday through Friday at her civilian job and spent every weekend preparing wills and powers of attorney for deploying soldiers. After a year in the Reserves, she decided to serve her country full-time and asked to be placed on active duty with the revered 3rd Infantry Division.

 

Heather was promoted to captain in November of 2003 and deployed in January 2005 for a year-long tour of duty in Iraq. She was one of two lawyers in her office who convoyed (as opposed to flying) from Kuwait to Baghdad. During her year there, she served as the Special Troops Battalion’s Trial Counsel and prosecuted nine cases at courts-martial.

 

Additionally, she traveled to detainment camps to do spot checks with key officers, including doctors, safety officers and the Inspector General, to ensure compliance at Abu Ghraib. At the close of her deployment, she assisted in the prosecution of several Iraqi terrorists at the Criminal Court of Central Iraq. In recognition of her work, Heather was awarded the Bronze Star Service Medal.

 

Heather remains on active duty and is preparing to move to Fort Bragg, North Carolina this summer. She is married to Major Michael Binetti and has one son Andrew.