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        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Maj. Casey Bowen, a dermatologist with the 59th Medical Wing at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, swims in the English Channel near Folkestone, England, Sept. 23, 2016, during a practice swim. Bowen and Maj. Simon Ritchie traveled to England to swim across the English Channel from Dover Harbor to the coastline of France. (DoD News photo/Tech. Sgt. Brian Kimball)From England to France: Swimming the channel
                        
                        
                        Maj. Casey Bowen, a dermatologist with the 59th Medical Wing at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, swims in the English Channel near Folkestone, England, Sept. 23, 2016, during a practice swim. Bowen and Maj. Simon Ritchie traveled to England to swim across the English Channel from Dover Harbor to the coastline of France. (DoD News photo/Tech. Sgt. Brian Kimball)
                
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        Majs. Simon Ritchie (left) and Casey Bowen, both dermatologists with the 59th Medical Wing at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, prepare for a practice swim in Dover Harbor, England, Sept. 22, 2016. Bowen and Ritchie traveled to England to swim across the English Channel from Dover Harbor to the coastline of France. (DoD News photo/Tech. Sgt. Brian Kimball)From England to France: Swimming the channel
                        
                        
                        Majs. Simon Ritchie (left) and Casey Bowen, both dermatologists with the 59th Medical Wing at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, prepare for a practice swim in Dover Harbor, England, Sept. 22, 2016. Bowen and Ritchie traveled to England to swim across the English Channel from Dover Harbor to the coastline of France. (DoD News photo/Tech. Sgt. Brian Kimball)
                
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        Maj. Casey Bowen (left), a dermatologist with the 59th Medical Wing, drinks some liquid as he swims across the English Channel Sept. 26, 2016. Bowen successfully swam from the shoreline of Dover, England, to the French coast, and completing his swim across the channel. (DoD News photo/Tech. Sgt. Brian Kimball)From England to France: Swimming the channel
                        
                        
                        Maj. Casey Bowen (left), a dermatologist with the 59th Medical Wing, drinks some liquid as he swims across the English Channel Sept. 26, 2016. Bowen successfully swam from the shoreline of Dover, England, to the French coast, and completing his swim across the channel. (DoD News photo/Tech. Sgt. Brian Kimball)
                
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        Maj. Casey Bowen, a dermatologist with the 59th Medical Wing at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, steps into the English Channel on the coastline of Folkestone, England, for a practice swim Sept. 23, 2016. Bowen and Maj. Simon Ritchie traveled to England to swim across the English Channel from Dover Harbor to the coastline of France. (DoD News photo/Tech. Sgt. Brian Kimball)From England to France: Swimming the channel
                        
                        
                        Maj. Casey Bowen, a dermatologist with the 59th Medical Wing at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, steps into the English Channel on the coastline of Folkestone, England, for a practice swim Sept. 23, 2016. Bowen and Maj. Simon Ritchie traveled to England to swim across the English Channel from Dover Harbor to the coastline of France. (DoD News photo/Tech. Sgt. Brian Kimball)
                
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From England to France: Swimming the channelPublished Oct. 4, 2016
                    
                    By Tech. Sgt. Brian Kimball
                    
                    
                    Defense Media Activity-Forward Center Europe
            **DOVER, England (AFNS)  --**After approximately two years of training and regimented swimming schedules, two Airmen swam the English Channel from Dover, England, to the western coastline of France Sept. 27 and Oct. 3.Majs. Simon Ritchie and Casey Bowen, both dermatologists assigned to the 59th Medical Wing at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, said they viewed the challenging swim as the culminating point for swimmers across the globe.“This is the pinnacle event in swimming,” Bowen said. “It’s been a long-term goal and just a personal challenge that I have been thinking of for a long time. We scheduled a crossing years ago.” After waiting for a few days for the right conditions for the swim, Bowen leaped off the support boat on Sept. 26, into the frigid salt water of the English Channel, swam to Dover shoreline and began his trek to the French coast. Ritchie had to wait a few more days to start his swim, but began Oct. 3. Both Airmen successfully landed on the shoreline of France. Bowen finished with a time of 12 hours and 9 minutes while Ritchie completed the event in 11 hours and 24 minutes. The Airmen said they felt confident in their abilities and dedication to accomplish the task, but also cognizant of the challenges they faced. The duo tackled Mother Nature’s unpredictability with wind, rain, tidal changes and cold temperatures as well as a potential encounter with jellyfish. Aside from the forces of nature, the Airmen coped with physical exhaustion and mental fatigue as they fought through the sea. “I try to lose myself in the moment; you really just have to stay in your own moment,” Ritchie said. “Look at your support boat and put your head back down in the water and keep going.” When they arrived in Dover, the Airmen had the opportunity to speak with several other swimmers from around the world who also completed the solo and relay swims across the channel.“One of my old coaches from the (U.S.) Air Force Academy had emailed me and told me that it was about the endeavor and not about finishing, try to enjoy it,” Bowen said. “So I did.”English Channel 



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