Army astronaut candidate honors legacy on Warrant Officer Cohort’s 108th birthday
Photo By Jason Cutshaw |
During the halfway point in his journey to becoming a NASA astronaut, U.S. Army Chief......read moreread more
Photo By Jason Cutshaw | During the halfway point in his journey to becoming a NASA astronaut, U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Joseph “Ben” Bailey participates in a two-week course that prepares astronauts to work safely and effectively in multicultural teams in an environment where safety is critical. Bailey and astronauts from four space agencies around the world are taking part in European Space Agency’s Cooperative Adventure for Valuing and Exercising human behavior and performance Skills, or CAVES, training course. The course is designed to foster effective communication, decision-making, problem-solving, leadership and team dynamics just as if they were living on the International Space Station. (NASA photo) see less
| View Image Page
Army astronaut candidate honors legacy on Warrant Officer Cohort’s 108th birthday
REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. – A Warrant Officer Cohort’s birthday celebration will soon be ready for liftoff.
As the Army celebrates the Warrant Officer Cohort's birthday, U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Joseph “Ben” Bailey is approaching the halfway point in his journey to becoming a NASA astronaut. Bailey was selected for NASA's newest astronaut candidate class on Sept. 22.
Established on July 9, 1918, the Army Warrant Officer Cohort has evolved into the Army’s premier technical experts, serving across every domain of military operations – from battlefield trenches to the International Space Station.
“Training so far has been incredible,” Bailey said. “The curriculum has been challenging, but very rewarding. Between flying T-38s, learning how to operate in the spacesuit in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab, learning to speak Russian, and learning the ins and outs of the space station, we maintain a busy schedule. Each of these categories is so engaging that the busy schedule rarely gets to me and I look forward to continuing the training for another year.”
He shared how his service as an Army warrant officer prepared him for the journey to become an astronaut.
“The longer I spend here with NASA the more I recognize the ways the Army, and especially the Warrant Officer Cohort has prepared me,” Bailey said. “My fellow warrant officers have embodied and mentored me in so many ways that have been critical in my success. Strength in knowledge, leadership through expertise, and excellence in followership are things that I’ve learned and developed that serve me well in a small organization like the astronaut office.
“Living and working in small teams, maintaining adaptability, flexibility, and patience, and aggressively hunting solutions are traits that the Army has instilled that ensure my success in an autonomous crew,” he added. “The quiet professionals who have been my mentors for so many years represent who I aim to be within NASA.”
Bailey said it's difficult to compare astronaut training to anything he's experienced before.
“I have had some of the best training in the world through Army aviation, and much of that training continues to serve me well in an entirely new role,” Bailey said. “However, astronaut training combines so many different unrelated curricula that require me to harness the adaptability that I’ve learned so well through the Army.”
He discussed the most challenging aspects of astronaut training, as well as the areas where his experience has given him an advantage.
“I’m not sure there are any easy parts of training,” Bailey said. “There are areas that require less time to master, but all parts of our training require a significant commitment to learn. While the T-38 is unlike any aircraft that I have flown before, my experience in Army Aviation and test and evaluation has given me the skills to quickly learn and adapt to a high-performance jet.
“However, some of the most difficult parts of training are those that have no equivalent to any experiences that I’ve had before,” he added. “Spacewalk training in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab involves nine different runs in the suit. Each of the runs is approximately six hours underwater practicing maintenance activities on a submerged model of the space station. Manipulating the suit and the required equipment is very difficult, and after 6 runs I find countless learning opportunities each time.”
Bailey also reflected on what it means to professionally represent the Army Warrant Officer Cohort on one of the world’s biggest stages.
“It is a huge honor to be representing Army warrant officers,” Bailey said. “This community has given me so many skills, relationships, and experiences to draw on and use to advance both NASA and the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command. I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity to represent Army warrants to the world and to give just a small part back to the community.
“I’m continually inspired as I read stories of the achievements of my fellow warrant officers, and find great satisfaction in sharing those stories with unfamiliar communities,” he added.
Looking ahead to the future of NASA’s Artemis program, he shared how exciting it is to be part of the next generation of space missions.
“It is an unbelievably exciting time to be a part of human spaceflight,” Bailey said. “As our return to the moon looms near, I feel a sense of awe and profound gratitude for the chance to be here. I look forward to being able to support my fellow astronauts, NASA, the Army, and the U.S. as we head back to the lunar surface in whatever capacity that might be.”
While reflecting on the Army Warrant Officer Cohort’s 108th birthday, Bailey celebrated more than a century of technical expertise and adaptive leadership that has strengthened America’s Army – from World War I to today’s multi-domain operations.
“I continue to feel great respect and thankfulness towards the warrant officer community,” Bailey said. “Here at NASA, I feel an ongoing support from the men and women who have guided me in my career. I wish a huge ‘Happy Birthday’ to the Warrant Officer Cohort and look forward to seeing the great achievements from the men and women within the Cohort for years to come.”
Subscribe
