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 Reagan Vogel, from Vancouver, Washington, was among the sailors who supported the recovery of the crew and the Orion space capsule.
Vogel, a 2021 graduate of Union High School, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23, which airlifted the Artemis II crew back to USS John P. Murtha for further evaluations and then back to land.
Vogel served as the day shift supervisor for HSC-23, supporting the leading petty officer in guiding 13 sailors in their daily tasks.
“My proudest accomplishment would probably have to be supporting the Artemis II mission and picking up astronauts out of the ocean,” Vogel said. “That was a pretty cool thing to be a part of.”
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Vancouver.
“I saw a lot of people growing up get lost in life, and they would always tell me to do something that would make a difference,” Vogel said. “My time in the Navy has shown me that making a difference doesn’t always have to be something drastic; it can be as simple as telling someone good morning and being a shoulder to lean on during hard times. We’re all in this together, so it’s important to support each other through everything.”
Vogel joined the Navy more than four years ago. Today, Vogel serves as an aviation electrician’s mate.
“My grandfather was in the Navy,” Vogel said. “I’ve always looked up to him and wanted to do something meaningful with my life that would also make him proud.”
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.
In addition to transporting the crew, members of HSC-23 also provided NASA with imagery support from their MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopters by tracking the Orion space capsule as it traveled through Earth’s atmosphere.
Based at Naval Air Station North Island, California, the “Wildcards” of HSC-23 fly and maintain the MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, the Navy’s most advanced rotary wing sea combat platform. The Navy MH-60S is able to perform many different missions, but some of the most common operations include airborne mine countermeasures, anti-surface warfare, combat search and rescue, supply support and medical evacuations.
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.
“Serving in the Navy means giving myself the best chance I can at being successful in life,” Vogel said. “I want to have a family one day, and I want to be able to give my future children a good life. The Navy has given me a sense of stability and solid ground to stand on to build my future.”
Vogel is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my parents for always being there for me and supporting me through everything I’ve faced in life,” Vogel said. “I also want to thank my wife for being my number one fan and always pushing me to keep going and chase my dreams even when things get hard.”