Only 48 Americans have qualified for NASA's spaceflight, and everyone has an impressive resume, but few have the same experience as new astronaut Dr. Jonny Kim. A former SEALs, Harvard-educated MD, and now a member of NASA's Astronaut Corps, Dr. King has been all the rage on the Internet in recent weeks, thanks in large part to the fact that johnny King, the legendary "space shuttle door gunner," has identified us as ordinary people.
It can be said that Dr. King's launch pad road began when he was 16 years old. Like many young Americans, King wasn't particularly confident in himself as a child, but he found purpose and motivation in his philosophy of service.
"Growing up, I felt like I was destined to do something bigger than myself," Dr. King told Sandboxx. "At that time, I was a little afraid of life. I don't have the utmost confidence. I was in school, just doing some moves, and then at 16 I heard about THE SEALs, which was a bit of a fit for me. ”
"That was the first time I felt the call."
Even at such a young age, Dr. King was already looking for a challenge. Part of the reason he came up with the idea of becoming a Navy SEALs was that he thought it was the toughest training you could ever get in the U.S. military. However, it's not just the training that catches Kim's attention. He was also inspired by the idea of becoming part of the Navy's elite "Quiet Professionals."
"It's made up of operators who work silently behind the scenes, doing difficult things that others don't want to do, never advertising or seeking recognition for their work. Something about this creed really haunts me and I want to be a part of this group," Kim said.
"That's why I want to join the Navy. I wanted to find myself, find my identity, see if I could do it — and I wanted to join this Warrior Brotherhood. ”
(From left) 2017 NASA astronaut candidates Bob Hines, Jonny Kim and Jessica Watkins take care of their fire, while Canadian space agency astronaut candidate Jennifer Sidey-Gibbons prepares more wood for the U.S. Navy's survival, escape, resistance, and escape field survival training at the Brunswick, Maine school. Image credit: NASA/Josh Valcarcel
Dr. King went on to earn a spot in Navy SEAL 3, where he served on more than 100 combat missions as a special operations medic, sniper, and navigator. He was awarded the Silver Star and the Bronze Star, with a "V" device representing heroism in battle, among others. You would think, after all, that Kim was ready for anything, even astronaut training, but Kim noted that it was a combination of his military experience and later as a doctor that helped him become a well-rounded man. astronaut.
"Of course it was my experience as a SEALs, where I learned how important and powerful resilience is," King replied when asked what prepared him for astronaut training.
"I learned that I can achieve anything, no matter how hard it is, how exhausting it is. I know I have more abilities because I've created benchmarks in my life that I can't think I can succeed on, but with the help of my teammates I'm able to get through them. ”
(From left) 2017 NASA astronaut candidate Jonny Kim prepares for his next mission as Canadian space agency astronaut candidates Joshua Kutryk (standing), Jennifer Sidey-Gibbons and NASA astronaut candidate Bob Hines watch the Escape, Resistance and Escape School in Brunswick, Maine, during the U.S. Navy Survival Team's field survival training. Image credit: (NASA/Josh Valcarcel)
Dr. King credits his time as a SEALs for helping him develop hard skills and teach him how to stay fierce in the face of adversity, but being an astronaut requires more than just courage and determination. Kim credits his time as a doctor to helping him develop some of the soft skills needed for astronaut training.
"Adapting to different personalities in the team and learning how to communicate with people from different groups are all things I really learn as a doctor." Kim said.
"So I learned some hard skills from the military, and some soft, more adaptable skills from doctors." These all work well together to make me a full member of NASA's larger team. ”
2017 NASA astronaut candidate Jonny Kim was helped put on his spacesuit before training on an underwater spacewalk at NASA's Johnson Space Center's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston. Image credit: (NASA/Robert Markowitz)
During his tenure as a Navy SEALs, at Harvard, as a doctor, and during the past two years of rigorous astronaut training, Dr. King is particularly well-suited to advise young men and women with their dreams. As Dr. King will tell you, he's no different from the rest of us— he's just devoted his life to the pursuit of the highest level of service.
"I feel like I'm talking to my younger self... I would say, have an honest conversation with yourself, engage in some self-reflection, eliminate all irrelevant distractions: the ego, or your obligations to your teacher or family, or your friends ... Delete all of this and have an honest conversation with yourself about why you want to do what you want to do," Dr. King explains. "Make sure you're doing things for the right reasons."
2017 NASA astronaut candidate Jonny Kim prepares for helicopter survival training at NASA's Johnson Space Center's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston. Image credit: (NASA/Josh Valcarcel)
Once you're sure you've found the right path, Kim warns that you'll still face challenges, setbacks, and adversity. It is important to stay focused and maintain a good attitude.
"You have to understand that everyone who achieves a goal is achieved in small steps. Sometimes we call it planning, but people don't accomplish big things in one fell swoop. They set short-term goals and made a lot of mistakes along the way, but they learned from them and got up every time they fell. Small steps lead to a big journey," he explains.
"You're going to screw up along the way, but it's part of the journey. With the right attitude, these small steps will take you where you want to go. ”
(NASA/Robert Markowitz)
Dr. Kim has been training for naval recruits for some time now, but seeing that Sandboxx specializes in helping to send letters to service members, I asked him if he remembers receiving letters when he was there. Like many veterans, Dr. King fondly recalled the letters he received during his basic training.
"I wrote to my mom and I remember writing to a girl I liked. Letters have something so intimate and thoughtful. I really remember the joy of receiving and sending letters [in recruitment training]. There really isn't much to compare. ”