Rockwell native now colonel in the Marines
By JOHN SKIPPER, john.skipper@globegazette.com
ROCKWELL — When U.S. Marine Col. Daniel Ermer was growing up on a farm in Rockwell, he set his sights on being an astronaut.

“That was my goal and dream,” said the 1983 graduate of Newman Catholic High School.

“I pursued a military career to become a pilot but didn’t make it because of my eyesight. I thought about the Navy but decided to become a Marine,” he said.

His career has taken him from classroom to command posts to combat in numerous assignments around the world.

In February he was promoted to colonel. His parents, Bob and Marilyn Ermer of Rockwell, attended the ceremonies in Washington, D.C.

“I kid him,” said his father. “I tell him I’m still the boss. But I tell him when he makes general, I’ll relinquish that.”

Ermer said he’s always had a competitive spirit. At Newman, he played football for four years and also participated in track.

“I learned my values from my mother and father,” he said. “Serving the nation is a big thing with them.”

Ermer, 44, will take command of the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Barstow, Calif., upon graduation from the National Defense University, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, in Washington, D.C.

In a career spanning more than two decades, he has led Marines in combat and earned the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service medal, the Navy/Marine Commendation medal, the Navy Marine Corps Achievement Medal and the Combat Action Ribbon.

He has served as an engineer platoon commander, battalion logistics officer and company commander at Camp Pendleton, Calif.; academics officer, then executive officer of a combat engineer construction company at Camp Lejeune, N.C; and commander of Engineer Support Co., 7th Engineer Support Battalion in Camp Pendleton.

He saw combat as a support breach team platoon commander in ground attacks into Kuwait and was a commanding officer, training and deploying engineer platoons, with battalion landing teams.

He has served in the Western Pacific, Southwest Asia, the Horn of Africa, as well as in combat in the Persian Gulf.

Ellie