Page 119 - Journal of Special Operations Medicine - Spring 2014

An Ongoing Series

Special Operations Alumnus Starts New Challenge

Interviewed by Jerry Green, USASOC Public Affairs

FORT BRAGG, NC (USASOC News Service, 31 OCT In early 2012, the selections began with more than
2013) — When his phone beeped indicating an incom- 6000 potential candidates having applied for the cov-
ing call, he noticed the number had a Houston, Texas eted position. Once the process started, the numbers
area code. When he answered, the caller told him he had reduced to 150. Interviews, medical exams, and ques-
been selected for the position and asked if he would like tion and answer sessions reduced that number to less
to join the team down in Texas. than 50. Finally, during a NASA news conference on 17
June 2013, the next generation of eight astronauts was
With that call, U.S. Army announced.
medical officer, LTC Andrew
Photo courtesy Matt Pippin, U.S. Army Army Special Operations Com- they know we’re doing big, bold things here- developing
“These new space explorers asked to join NASA because
R. Morgan, 37, a former U.S.
missions to go farther into space than ever before,” said
mand Soldier, married, and fa-
ther of four, was informed he
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. “They’re excited
about the science we’re doing on the International Space
was one of the eight candidates
selected to join NASA’s 2013
Station and our plan to launch from U.S. soil to there on
to help lead the first human mission to an asteroid and
“It was still a long shot if I
then on to Mars.”
LTC Andrew R. Morgan Astronaut Candidate Class. spacecraft built by American companies; they’re ready
would be selected,” said Mor-
gan. “After all the interviews and physicals, the final
selection process was underway and close to conclusion,
and that call was what I hoped for.”

Posted in late 2012, a civil service announcement on U.S.
Jobs showed that NASA had an opening for an astro-
naut position. The position listed the work center was
based at the Johnson Space Center, Houston. The job
description included the standard information—com-
petitive pay, full range of employee benefits, interesting
and meaningful work. Photo courtesy of NASA

It was the challenge of the job that really interested Mor-
gan. His challenge, and those of the other candidates, 8 members of Astronaut Group 21 on a parabolic zero gravity flight
was being one of the few who may travel to the Moon;
possibly Mars; probably the international space station; Morgan is a 1998 graduate of The U.S. Military Acad-
and maybe to a neighboring asteroid; meanwhile con- emy at West Point. After West Point, he earned his doc-
tinuing the research and exploration of the vast regions torate in medicine at the Uniformed Services University
beyond Earth’s atmosphere. of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Md., in 2002.

This interview is being republished with permission of USASOC PAO and therefore is not in our normal Q&A format.

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