Leaning forward might cause a splash

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. McGee
  • 433rd AW/PA
LACKLAND AFB, Tx --  Employers, both military and civilian, continually encourage workers to lean forward to the future for the good of the company. For one Airman, leaning into the future caused him to get wet. But that was the plan. 

As an Air Force Reservist, Col. Josef Schmid is the commander of the 433rd Medical Squadron and a flight doctor. In his civilian career, he is a flight doctor for NASA. 

His civilian job involves researching the effects of various environments on tomorrow's astronauts and testing future protective clothing and equipment. 

As a flight doctor for the 433rd Airlift Wing, Colonel Schmid can fly with his air crews and see for himself what happens. But as a flight doctor for NASA, he used a different, but no less extreme, environment to find his answers. 

Colonel Schmid spent 12 days living and working about 62 feet below the ocean's surface to get answers for the space program. 

"The goal is the same for both organizations - to be able to do things in extreme environments," said Colonel Schmid. "Flight surgeons need to fly and dive with their crews." 

Reservists regularly bring their civilian experiences to their military units and their military training often benefits their civilian careers. 

"The idea is that NASA is going to use this environment for new procedures for use on the moon and Mars. The Air Force has not yet developed a space medicine cadre, but we're working on that," said Colonel Schmid. 

When it comes to new program development, Colonel Schmid advocates pulling out all the stops, including those dealing with individual experience. 

"We need to leverage every bit of technology and talent we have to support our war fighters whether they are pilots, policemen or space operators," said the Colonel.
For a flight doctor, flying with the crew is no problem. That is what he is trained for. But diving took some additional education. 

"I was not a diver until May of last year," said the Colonel. "Not until I heard about this opportunity," said Colonel Schmid. He is a firm believer in every Airman developing specialized skill sets and planning a course within their own careers to be ready for rare and amazing opportunities and experiences. He has a simple formula for success. 

"You can really surprise yourself about what you can do," he said. "Look for the opportunity, look for the training, determine a plan to reach that goal and then go for it. That's what I did." 

But 'going for it' doesn't mean avoiding the responsibility that comes from maintaining the balance between military supervisors, civilian employers and family responsibility.
"You have to get permission from your family and from your work and get the training; but given all that, you can reach those goals," said Colonel Schmid.