CAPTAIN BRAdford a. holden
Combat Engineer Officer, Entrepreneur & CEO | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Originally from Pittsburgh, Captain Bradford A. Holden has dedicated his career to serving others, demonstrating exceptional leadership and a drive for innovation. He graduated with honors from Carnegie Mellon University in 2011, earning a double major in both biomedical and mechanical engineering before commissioned into the United States Marine Corps.
From 2011 to 2015, Holden served on active duty as a combat engineer officer, demonstrating exceptional leadership in high stakes combat environments. During 2013–2014, he deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan and was assigned to the 1st combat engineer battalion in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, leading route clearance missions. His leadership in theater safeguarded countless lives and ensured mission success.
Following deployment, Holden served from June 2014 to May 2015 as company executive officer at Camp Pendleton, California. He directed operations for 150 Marines and five junior officers, spearheading a major overhaul of the unit’s long-range training plan to ensure combat readiness during the transition from Operation Enduring Freedom. He also planned and executed the company’s largest tactical exercise in over a decade, coordinating with more than 20 external organizations and managing over $50 million in tactical equipment.
Holden’s commitment to excellence was evident throughout his military training. He graduated in the top five percent of his class at The Basic School and earned academic honors at both the Combat Engineer Officer Course and the Combat Hunter Trainer Course. His valor and leadership were recognized with multiple awards, including the Navy Achievement Medal with Combat Valor, the Navy and Marine Association Leadership Award, and the Combat Action Ribbon.
After completing his military service, Holden continued his pursuit of leadership and impact, earning an MBA from Harvard Business School in 2018. During his time at Harvard, he was a recipient of the prestigious Timothy T. Day Marine Corps Entrepreneur Fellowship. Holden went on to cofound Resilient Lifescience, a Pittsburgh-based medical-device startup dedicated to addressing the opioid epidemic. As chief executive officer, he leads the development of innovative wearable technologies designed to detect and prevent opioid overdoses—continuing his lifelong mission to protect and save lives.
From leading Marines in combat to pioneering life-saving medical technology at home, Holden exemplifies the resilience, service, and dedication of the United States Marine Corps.
captain marina hierl
First Female Marine Infantry Officer & Medical Student | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Marina Hierl was born and raised in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and graduated from the University of Southern California in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in computer science.
While a student at the university, she joined the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps and was inspired to become a Marine officer with the opening of combat roles to women in 2013. She was commissioned as an officer in 2016 and soon after made history as the first woman to graduate from the Marine Corps Infantry Officer Course.
Known for its intensity and challenge, the course at Quantico is one of the most rigorous leadership programs in the military. Earning the infantry officer designation, she went on to become the first female Marine to command an infantry platoon, leading 35 Marines in Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines during a training deployment to Australia. Over the course of her service, she rose to the rank of captain.
In 2022, Hierl began a new journey of service, enrolling at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, where she is training to become a family physician. Due to graduate in May 2026, she was named an Abigail Scholar, earning a full scholarship and stipend in exchange for committing the first four years of her medical practice to the Geisinger health system. Though her path has shifted from battlefield leadership to clinical care, her dedication to service remains the same.
“Everything I am doing is for my future patients,” said Hierl. “I had a clear purpose as a Marine officer. Now I carry that same purpose into medicine.”
In addition to her military and academic achievements, Hierl has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to community service. She began volunteering at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank in 2013. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she joined Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE), supporting health outreach and relief efforts. She later served with L A Works as a vaccine outreach volunteer. Since 2021, she has volunteered with Alexandria House, helping women and children transition out of homelessness. She also works as a Care Partner at Kaiser Permanente, supporting patients directly in clinical settings.
Through every chapter of her life, Hierl has shown unwavering commitment to service, leadership, and compassion. From leading Marines across the world to preparing to serve families in her community, she exemplifies the best of Pennsylvania and the values of the United States Marine Corps.