CS 77: Navy SEAL to Astronaut | CEO Medal of Honor Museum Foundation | Space Walker | Chris Cassidy

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Today we have a Combat Story first with our first Astronaut who spent over 377 days in space and completed 10 spacewalks (where he’s actually out in space in nothing but his suit): Chris Cassidy. Before he joined NASA, Chris was a Navy SEAL and was one of the very first sent into Afghanistan in 2001 after 9/11.

There’s very little Chris has not accomplished. He attended the US Naval Academy, received a Master of Science in Ocean Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and has two Honorary PhD's.

As a SEAL, Chris earned a Bronze Star with Valor and a Presidential Unit Citation for combat in Afghanistan. He was NASA’s 14th Chief Astronaut, which is the head of NASA’s Astronaut Corps and is the principal advisor to the NASA Administrator on astronaut training and operations.

Chris is incredibly humble given his accomplishments and it’s no surprise he is now President and CEO of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation, where he’s leading efforts to build out an iconic Museum for MOH recipients, a Leadership Institute, and a Monument on the National Mall.

I hope you enjoy this view from Space from such a down to Earth man as much as I did. Special thanks to previous guests Darrell Utt and Mike Hayes who helped us connect with Chris.

Find Chris Online:
-Instagram @astro_seal
-Instagram @mohmuseum
-MOH Museum Donation www.mohmuseum.org/donate

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-Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle

Show Notes:

0:00 - Intro
1:05 - Guest Introduction (Chris Cassidy)
2:31 - Interview begins
8:10 - Childhood and interest in military
19:18 - Path to SEAL Teams
25:20 - About his first SEAL Team, an underwater vehicle team
29:30 - Where he was when 911 happened and how SEAL Team 3 reposnded
38:19 - Combat Story - First time leading troops into an engagement
42:07 - Combat Story - Aha moment while on a mission in the caves of Afghan-Pakistan border
46:56 - Team dynamics in a small unit like a SEAL Team
52:09 - Leadership and the danger of complacency and overconfidence
54:24 - Transition to NASA
1:04:53 - First flight expereince as an astronaut
1:13:15 - First spacewalk experience
1:17:56 - Story of a hairy experience during a spacewalk mission
1:30:14 - Feeling privileged to do the work and the long-term fatigue that can happen
1:31:53 - National Medal of Honor Museum
1:40:56 - Dealing with setbacks along his path
1:43:05 - What did you carry into combat/space?
1:44:21 - Would you do it again?
1:45:46 - Listener comments and shout outs