MILLINGTON, Tenn. – When NASA’s Artemis II crew splashed down in the Pacific upon their return to Earth from their flight around the moon, U.S. Navy sailors stood ready to welcome them home.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Cody Dooley, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was among the sailors who supported the recovery of the crew and the Orion space capsule.
Dooley, a 2010 graduate of Fort Dodge Senior High School, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to Surface Medical Group Pacific, one of the Navy Medicine teams aboard USS John P. Murtha for the mission.
Dooley serves as a hospital corpsman and was on Fleet Surgical Team 1, the trauma resuscitation team, during the recovery mission.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Fort Dodge.
“My family taught me to put God first, have integrity, be fair and to do your best at anything you do,” Dooley said.
Dooley joined the Navy 15 years ago. Today, Dooley is a hospital corpsman who has earned the Fleet Marine Force and Joint En-Route Care qualifications.
“My grandfather told me stories of his 22-year career in the Air Force and instilled in me a sense of service to our country,” Dooley said.
NASA’s Artemis II mission sent four astronauts – NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and the Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen – on a nearly 10-day flight around the moon in the Orion space capsule, marking the first time in more than 50 years that humans journeyed to deep space. The crew splashed down just after 5 p.m. (PDT) on April 10 in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, where Navy sailors who had been training for this recovery mission were waiting aboard John P. Murtha, an amphibious transport dock.
The U.S. Navy’s amphibious transport dock has unique advantages, including a well deck, helicopter pad, onboard medical facilities and communication capabilities needed to support the mission. The platform gave NASA the ability to recover the Orion space capsule and collect critical data to help ensure it’s ready to recover the astronauts and capsule during future Artemis missions.
The medical teams, like Fleet Surgical Team 1, embarked aboard John P. Murtha for the mission, trained extensively for the physiological effects of spaceflight, particularly the challenges associated with returning to Earth’s gravity after extended time in a microgravity environment. The successful recovery of the Artemis II crew highlighted the critical role Navy Medicine plays in supporting operational missions.
Dooley has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.
“I’m most proud of serving with the 3rd Marines Headquarters Battalion; graduating from respiratory therapy school; deploying to Djibouti, Africa, to aid in COVID medical support; and being a part of the Artemis II recovery mission,” Dooley said.
This year, the Navy is commemorating its contribution to the nation’s defense as the United States celebrates 250 years of independence. According to Navy officials, for more than 250 years, the Navy has sailed the globe defending freedom and protecting prosperity.
With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber-optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.
“I take pride in serving our country and those I serve alongside, being able to protect those I love and provide support for their future,” Dooley said. “Having the opportunities to travel and also help those around the world is a blessing.”
Dooley is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my parents for their continuing love and support,” Dooley said. “I also want to thank my grandparents for sharing their experiences in their military career and for their guidance as I work through my own.”