DATE: February 24, 2020 3:53:36 PM CST

Local youth to take oath of enlistment from U.S. Army astronaut in space

Public Affairs Office

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Feb. 21, 2020) – Six future Soldiers will raise their hands in an oath of enlistment ceremony with U.S. Army Col. and NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan at Waynesville High School Feb. 26, 2020, at 11:40 a.m.

St. Robert Recruiting Station, in partnership with NASA and Space Center Houston, will host the first ever, nationwide live oath of enlistment ceremony from space. More than 850 Future Soldiers will participate at more than 130 locations across the country.

At the completion of the ceremony, Morgan will conduct a question-and-answer session with the new enlistees at Space Center Houston and participating venues from across the country.

Only 29 percent of youth meet the minimum qualifications to serve as a Soldier.

Those who meet the requirements and are selected to serve receive top-notch technical training and education in more than 150 career fields, with almost a third of those in STEM-related fields.

Media are invited to cover the oath of enlistment to get a first-hand look at the first step in an Army recruit’s career in the nation’s all-volunteer force.

What:  Oath of Enlistment ceremony from ISS

When:  Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020 at 11:40 a.m.

Where: Waynesville High School, 200 G.W. Lane, Waynesville, MO 65583

For more information and to RSVP, please contact the Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office at 573.563.5038 by 4:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24.

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About Fort Leonard Wood

Fort Leonard Wood is a thriving and prosperous installation that has evolved from a small basic training post more than 75 years ago to a premier Army Center of Excellence that trains more than 80,000 military and civilians each year.

Fort Leonard Wood is home to the U.S Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and three U.S. Army schools: the U.S. Army Engineer School; U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School; and the U.S. Army Military Police School. In addition to training engineer, CBRN and military police specialties for the Army, Fort Leonard Wood also provides gender-integrated in-processing and Basic Combat Training for new Soldiers.

Fort Leonard Wood also hosts and trains with the largest Marine Corps Detachment and Air Force Squadron on any Army installation as well as a large Navy construction detachment.

More information about Fort Leonard Wood is at: https://home.army.mil/wood/index.php/about/mission