Home / Houston News / NASA astronaut swears-in Army recruit class from 250 miles above earth

NASA astronaut swears-in Army recruit class from 250 miles above earth

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A swearing-in ceremony for U.S. Army recruits was an out-of-this-world experience like never before.

On Wednesday, more than a thousand recruits were sworn-in and are ready to hit the ground running.

“I’m going in as a combat medic, and I want to grow and flourish from that,” Army recruit Madeison Helm explained.

“I’ve wanted to join the honor since freshman year,” Army recruit Alexia Linscomb said. “It’s just something I’ve wanted to do.”

The words they recited aren’t any different from another class, but no one had ever done it like this.

“I was nervous,” Linscomb recalled. “I was shaking. It was the adrenaline of just doing it and being honored to do it.”

The person administering the oath wasn’t in the room with them. Astronaut Andrew Morgan was floating 250 miles above the earth in the International Space Station.

“It’s really an honor for me to administer the oaths of enlistment today from this magnificent space ship,” Morgan told the recruits.

Morgan is no stranger to the Army. He’s a colonel and lets everyone in space know it. “I’m a soldier, through and through,” Morgan said.

This is the first time the Army has ever done this and it wasn’t just for the 25 recruits at Space Center Houston. More than 1,000 took part in 150 locations across the country.

“To be able to launch their careers, for lack of a better term, from the International Space Station, with our partnership with the Space Center Houston, it’s just incredible,” Brigadier General Patrick Michaelis explained.

Now, the hard work begins. But their mission is off and running after taking part in this historic ceremony.

“I couldn’t say there would be anything to top this,” Helm explained. “Maybe accomplishing my goals of becoming a doctor, but this is a once in a lifetime experience.”

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