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An Army astronaut called this week from the International Space Station for a videoconference with former colleagues at Fort Rucker Alabama, which she calls "the best person I've worked with in the Army".
"I can not tell you how much I enjoyed serving with them and the lessons I learned from them," said Lieutenant-Colonel Anne C. McClain.
His former army team made the feeling. Retired Jim Kalahan, who attended the videoconference, said McClain was "the best of the commanders I've ever had in my career."
McClain was selected for the astronaut corps in 2013 and is a flight engineer on the space station with Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko and Canadian astronaut Dr. David Saint-Jacques. She must return to Earth in July.
She was appointed Army Officer in 2002 and immediately followed graduate studies at the University of Bath. His research in aerodynamics has been published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
McClain was a Kiowa helicopter pilot in the army and led 216 combat missions as part of the Iraqi Freedom operation. She holds the Bronze Star and Air Medals with value, among other awards and decorations. After Iraq, she was posted to Fort Rucker as the battalion operations manager and instructor pilot of Kiowa.
McClain said the army's aviation had taught him camaraderie and leadership. "From day one, I've always been judged on my merits and what I brought to the team," she said. "And there is a high bar. We joke a lot with each other, but in the end we are a tight group and we rely on each other every day with our lives. "
"We thought it would be nice if she had the opportunity to talk to the people who had driven her when she was in charge (at Fort Rucker) and to express to her how much we care from her and how pleased we are to have done what she does, "said Brian Jacobson, a civilian military employee at Rucker, who coordinated the videoconference.
The live link connected McClain and 50 Army Aviation Professionals to the Seneff Building in Fort Rucker.
"If I make you proud, I accomplished something," said McClain.
Russell Kruse, deputy head of standardization at the 110th Aviation Brigade, said that he would continue to expect great things from McClain. "If there is a next step NASA, it will be part of it, be it south of the moon or to Mars," said Kruse.
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