Enlistment Oath For US Army Recruits In Texas Was Truly Out Of This World
HOUSTON (CBSDFW.COM) - Dozens of young people gathered at Johnson Space Center in Texas to dedicate themselves to service and the soldier administering the oath to the recruits did it while floating in zero gravity -- 250 miles above the Earth.
"Space Center Houston and the U.S. Army have joined together to create a unique experience for youth who will begin their next mission as they pledge their honorable service to the United States," said William T. Harris, president and CEO of Space Center Houston.
While recruits in Texas descended on the NASA facility, some 1,000 others -- at locations across the country -- were also administered the oath by current International Space Station resident Andrew Morgan.
Morgan was orbiting the Earth at 17,150 mph — approximately 5 miles per second — when he helped the men and women take their take next step into service.
While the words they recited weren't any different from other classes, no one had ever done it via a downlink to outer space.
Astronaut Morgan is no stranger to the Army. He's a colonel, and reaffirmed his loyalty during the transmission by unzipping the top of his flight suit to reveal an Army t-shirt underneath.
"I'm a soldier. I'm just serving in space on the ultimate high ground," he said.
After the recruits, including several from North Texas, were sworn-in Colonel Morgan fielded questions from some new enlistees at Space Center Houston.
Before signing off, the astronaut from West Virginia did a Zero-G back flip and held up different flags of the armed forces that floated in front of the camera.
