Eric Boe First Flew C172s As A CAP Cadet

Civil Air Patrol Senior Member and Air Force Colonel Eric Boe will soon achieve what many dream of and few accomplish -- the chance to travel into space. An astronaut with NASA, he will pilot the Space Shuttle Endeavour for mission STS-126, his first voyage into space.

Scheduled to launch November 14 from Kennedy Space Center, the mission is being conducted in support of the International Space Station. The Endeavour will dock with the station and deliver supplies to support its expanding needs, including a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module.

"I'm very excited to go into space and get the opportunity to represent the nation," said Boe. "It's a great opportunity to see what it's like to go into space."

A former Georgia Wing cadet and current Florida Wing member, Boe said his involvement with CAP as a young man helped him achieve his career goals of becoming a fighter pilot and an astronaut. Boe, who soloed at age 16 at a flight encampment conducted by the Georgia Wing, credits his cadet experience for solidifying his desire to fly.

"That was my first real opportunity to fly an airplane by myself," he said. "CAP gave me that opportunity, and it really made a difference in the long term. It's always nice to have flown before you show up at pilot training."

Boe is the recipient of CAP's Carl A. Spaatz Award, the highest award cadets can achieve. Only about one-tenth of 1 percent of CAP cadets achieves this award. Boe is carrying his Spaatz coin with him into space in honor of his CAP cadet experience.

Boe also credits CAP for expanding his horizons: "I had IACE (International Air Cadet Exchange) cadets stay at the house," he noted. The program, now more than 60 years old, promotes international friendship and understanding through a common focus on aviation. In 2009, cadets representing 20 countries will visit CAP squadrons in the US as participants in the IACE program.

"It was good exposure to see people from other countries, and now I'm working on the International Space Station. I was stationed in the Philippines in the military and with NASA I was in Russia for a year with my family. That initial IACE experience gave me a flavor for the international experiences that I have had so far," he said.

Boe's military service includes flying 55 combat missions over Iraq in support of Operation Southern Watch after the Gulf War and more than 4,000 flight hours in more than 45 different aircraft. His military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal and Aerial Achievement Medal.

FMI: www.cap.gov, www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/boe-ea.html