MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – Staff Sgt. Dylan P. Heatherton, a finance technician with Headquarters and Service Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, was named the 2025 Marine Corps Staff Noncommissioned Officer Financial Technician of the Year.
During 2025, Heatherton served as deputy dispersing officer for the Regional Disbursing Office West. In that role, he was responsible for reconciling and correcting unmatched financial transactions to ensure funds were allocated accurately to the proper units and accounting lines. Heatherton estimates his work supported the reallocation of more than $130 million, a critical responsibility when units rely on timely payments to sustain training and operations.
For Heatherton, the recognition was both unexpected and validating, especially after a year spent working in a billet normally reserved for a gunnery sergeant or higher.
“My initial reaction was, I didn’t necessarily believe it,” Heatherton said. “It was a very happy and surreal feeling…it feels really nice because it feels like the day-in, day-out work…comes to fruition.”
The finance technician’s job is more than processing paperwork; it is the final safeguard ensuring payments are legal, correct, and accountable. Whether supporting travel claims, entitlements, or large-scale fiscal actions, disbursing Marines enable operational units to focus on the mission while maintaining accountability of government funds. That responsibility begins with setting the standard inside the section. Because of Marines like Heatherton, the Marine Corps has the distinction of being the only service to pass its third consecutive financial audit.
“A lot of what we do is pay contracts on time so we can maintain a good relationship with partner nations or vendors so that when Marines do an exercise or deploy…they are able to get what they need from these vendors,” said Heatherton.
Heatherton emphasizes that technical excellence in finance requires humility, continuous learning, and attention to detail. He regularly mentors junior Marines on regulations and process improvement to reinforce accuracy at every level.
“Everything I do, I can’t do without them,” Heatherton said when asked about his Marines. “If they don’t do their job correctly…then treasury funds or U.S. government funds can go to the wrong place.”
Developing Marines is inseparable from executing the mission. For Heatherton, leadership requires accountability balanced with mentorship. “You can be a good leader and hold people accountable while still being a good human being,” Heatherton said. Teaching Marines the purpose behind their work rather than simply correcting mistakes reinforces understanding of their job while enforcing a high standard.
Looking ahead, Heatherton aims to continue serving the Marine Corps as a finance warrant officer. He recently submitted a package to pursue the opportunity, hoping to eventually improve financial processes that directly impact both mission execution and Marines’ quality of life.
For Heatherton, this award is not an endpoint, but a reflection of the Marines who work alongside him and the standards they uphold together.