ABF 2 Claudia Heckner joined the US Navy in spring of 2006. She got sent to Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois. After completing her trained she was stationed at Pensacola, Florida at Aviation Boatswain's Mates school. After completing all of her training, in 2007 she was stationed on the USS Kitty Hawk in Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan. During this time she went on many deployments with the USS Kitty Hawk and later the USS George Washington, doing military training in the Asia region and Humanitarian work. In the winter of 2009, ABF 2 Heckner volunteered for a deployment in Nuristan, Afghanistan. ABF 2 Heckner completed numerous missions and help in Flight, and Mission operations for the duration of the deployment.

ABF 2 Heckner was awarded multiple medals for her Service in Afghanistan including the Army Achievement Medal, Navy Combat Ribbon, Navy Commendation Medal, and Afghanistan Campaign Badge. At the end of her deployment she got stationed at Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay, in Hawaii and finished out her service in December of 2013. ABF 2 Heckner is married to her husband which she met while on Deployment and together live in San Diego, California with their two children. She now works for the Department of the Navy as a Federal Civilian as a Fuel Controller at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego.