A native of Braintree, MA, Lieutenant Colonel Messmer commissioned a Second Lieutenant in May 2005. After graduating from The Basic School and the Logistics Officers Course, he served with Combat Logistics Regiment-1. During this assignment, he deployed from March 2007 to February 2008 as a member of Border Transition Team 2/2 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Upon his return, he served as a Platoon Commander with Combat Logistics Battalion-7 and deployed to Iraq from February 2009 to September 2009.
He assumed the duties of Executive Officer, General Support Motor Transport Company from September 2009 to January 2010. During this time, Lieutenant Colonel Messmer was responsible for the re-activation of the company and the initial manning of the unit which would eventually become Transportation Support Battalion.
Lieutenant Colonel Messmer transferred to Third Recruit Training Battalion, Recruit Training Regiment, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina in January 2010. He served as a Series Commander and Company Commander of Company L from 2010 to 2012 and as the Regimental Operations Officer from 2012 to 2013. In 2013, he transferred to Expeditionary Warfare School (EWS) in Quantico, Virginia. After completion of EWS in 2014, Lieutenant Colonel Messmer executed orders to 2d Battalion, 4th Marines to serve as the battalion’s Logistics Officer.
In November 2014 Lieutenant Colonel Messmer deployed to the INDOPACOM region with Battalion Landing Team 2/4 in support of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. Next, Lieutenant Colonel Messmer transferred to Combat Logistics Battalion-5 (CLB-5) to serve as the Operations Officer. He participated in Exercise Dawn Blitz 15, Exercise Steel Knight 16, and Integrated Training Exercise (ITX) 2-16. In May 2016, he assumed the duties of Executive Officer and deployed with the Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force (SPMAGTF) Crisis Response Central Command as part of the Logistics Combat Element. Lieutenant Colonel Messmer returned from deployment in October 2016 and transferred to the United States Naval War College in July 2017.
Next, Lieutenant Colonel Messmer attended the College of Naval Command and Staff and the Maritime Advanced Warfighting School (MAWS) where he received the additional MOS 0505 MAGTF Planner. Upon graduation, he transferred to II Marine Expeditionary Force in Camp Lejeune, NC where he served with 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) as an operational planner and Future Operations Officer from 2018 to 2021. During this tour, he deployed with the MEB to participate in multinational exercises in Norway and the Baltic Sea Region and with Task Force Northeast to Massachusetts as part of the DOD response to the COVID-19 pandemic in support of FEMA. He completed his tour with II MEF and received orders to Headquarters Marine Corps Programs and Resources where he served as an Analyst with the Warfighting Branch as part of the Program Analysis and Evaluation Division. He has served as the Commanding Officer of Marine Detachment Fort Gregg-Adams (formerly Fort Lee) since June 2022.
Lieutenant Colonel Messmer graduated from The Citadel with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Military Affairs. He holds a dual Master of Arts in Management & Leadership and Human Resources Development from Webster University, a Master of Arts in Defense and Strategic Studies from the United States Naval War College, and a Master of Arts in Diplomacy from Norwich University. He is married to the former Kelly Hartman and has two sons, Ryan and Parker.