Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 1

From lunar orbit to ocean splashdown, the U.S. Navy is poised for a heroic homecoming.

When the Artemis II crew returns from their historic 10-day journey around the moon, the very first faces they see will be the highly-skilled and mission-ready faces of U.S. Navy Sailors!

Meet the elite dive medical team who get the honor of cracking open the Orion capsule: Lt. Cmdr. Jesse Wang, Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Laddy Aldridge, Chief Hospital Corpsman Vlad Link, and Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Steve Kapala. These Sailors are the tip of the spear in expeditionary, undersea medicine.

Their mission: to be the first ones in, conduct initial medical checks, and safely help NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration astronauts Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman, and Victor Glover, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, out of the capsule after their incredible voyage.

This isn't a job for just anyone. This team consists of certified divers and undersea medical experts who have trained for years for this exact moment.

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Steve Kapala said it best: “I grew up reading sci-fi novels and watching space movies, never thinking that I would play a part in a recovery mission like this. It is surreal to play a part in safely recovering the astronauts... an effort that really makes you realize this team is bigger than just the four of us.”

After more than 50 years, humans have returned to deep space, and the U.S. Navy is there to bring them home safely. This is what making history looks like!



Read more: https://necc.navy.afpims.mil/Press-Room/News-Stories/Article-View/Article/4456180/first-contact-meet-the-dive-medical-recovery-team-of-artemis-ii/

More information here: https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/display-news/Article/4319360/fy26-lapse-of-appropriations-department-of-the-navy-resources-for-sailors-marin/