Douglas H . Wheelock Douglas Harry " Wheels " Wheelock ( born May 5 , 1960 ) is an American astronaut . He has flown in space twice , logging 178 days on the Space Shuttle , International Space Station , and Russian Soyuz . On July 12 , 2011 , Wheelock announced that he would be returning to duty with the active United States Army in support of Operation Enduring Freedom . Early life and education . Douglas Wheelock was born in Binghamton , New York to Olin and Margaret Wheelock . In a pre - flight interview , Wheelock stated that he was inspired to become an astronaut at an early age . He also stated that a major turning point in his life was the Apollo 11 moon landing in July 1969 . In 1978 Wheelock graduated from Windsor Central High School in Windsor , New York before attending the United States Military Academy at West Point . Military career . Wheelock spent four years as a cadet at West Point , graduating in the class of 1983 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Science and Engineering . After graduation he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U . S . Army ' s Infantry Branch and entered flight school the next year . In September 1984 , then Lieutenant Wheelock graduated at the top of his flight class and was designated an Army Aviator . He subsequently served in the Pacific as a combat aviation Section Leader , Platoon Leader , Company Executive Officer , Battalion Operations Officer , and Commander of an Air Cavalry Troop in the 9th Cavalry . He was later assigned to the Aviation Directorate of Combat Developments as an Advanced Weapons Research and Development Engineer . Wheelock was selected as a member of Class 104 at the U . S . Naval Test Pilot School and upon completion was assigned as an Experimental Test Pilot with the Army Aviation Technical Test Center ( ATTC ) . His flight testing was focused in the areas of tactical reconnaissance and surveillance systems in the OH - 58D , UH - 60 , RU - 21 and C - 23 aircraft . He served as Division Chief for fixed - wing testing of airborne signal and imagery intelligence systems in support of the National Program Office for Intelligence and Electronic Warfare . While on active duty , Wheelock received a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech in 1992 . In August 1996 Wheelock was assigned to the Johnson Space Center as a Space Shuttle integration test engineer . His technical duties involved engineering liaison for launch and landing operations of the Space Shuttle . He was selected as the vehicle integration test team lead for the joint Space Shuttle and Russian Space Station Mir mission STS - 86 , and lead engineer for International Space Station hardware fit checks . Wheelock is a graduate of the Army Airborne and Air Assault Courses , the Infantry and Aviation Officer Advanced Courses , the Combined Arms Services Staff School , the Material Acquisition Management Course , and the U . S . Army Command and General Staff College . In July 2011 , Wheelock left for a tour of duty in support of Operation Enduring Freedom . He is scheduled to return in fall 2011 . A dual - rated Master Army Aviator Astronaut , he has logged over 2 , 500 flight hours in 43 different rotary and fixed - wing aircraft . NASA career . In August 1998 Wheelock reported for NASA Astronaut Candidate Training . Having completed the initial two years of intensive Space Shuttle and Space Station training , he was assigned to the Astronaut Office ISS Operations Branch as a Russian Liaison , participating in the testing and integration of Russian hardware and software products developed for the ISS . He worked extensively with the Energia Aerospace Company in Moscow , Russia , developing and verifying dual - language procedures for ISS crews . Wheelock led joint U . S . / Russian teams to the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to oversee bench reviews , inventory , loading and launch of the first four unmanned ISS resupply capsules . In 2001 , Wheelock assumed duties as the Crew Support Astronaut for the ISS Expedition 2 crew , which was on orbit for 147 days from March 2001 to August 2001 , and for the ISS Expedition 4 crew , which was on orbit for 195 days from December 2001 to June 2002 . He was the primary contact for all crew needs , coordination , planning and interactions , and was the primary representative of the crews while they were on orbit . In August 2002 , Wheelock was assigned as a Spacecraft Communicator ( CAPCOM ) in the Mission Control Center in Houston , Texas . In this role , he was the primary communication link between crews on orbit and the ground support team in the Control Center . His work as a CAPCOM culminated in his assignment as the lead CAPCOM for the ISS Expedition 8 mission , which was 194 days in duration . In July 2004 , Wheelock served as an aquanaut during the mission aboard the Aquarius underwater laboratory , living and working underwater for ten days . In January 2005 , he was assigned as NASA ' s Director of Operations – Russia where he served at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City , Russia . He was responsible for supporting Russia - based training , logistic , and administrative needs of NASA astronauts preparing for flight on the ISS . Wheelock was the primary liaison between Star City and NASA operations in Houston , including medical , training , science , contracting , public affairs , and administration departments . He was also responsible for liaison duties between NASA and the Russian Space Agency , as well as the Russian aerospace industry . After his first spaceflight , Wheelock was assigned as the backup to T . J . Creamer for the Soyuz TMA - 17 / Expedition 22 / Expedition 23 mission to the International Space Station . Creamer completed a successful 163 day mission from 2009 - 2010 . Spaceflight experience . STS - 120 . On October 23 , 2007 Wheelock launched on his first spaceflight aboard Space Shuttle " Discovery " . During the STS - 120 mission , Wheelock was Mission Specialist 3 on a multinational crew whose mission was to deliver the Node 2 module to the International Space Station . Wheelock participated in three spacewalks with fellow astronaut Scott Parazynski in order to perform mission critical tasks on the exterior of the Station . The spacewalks involved outfitting the Node 2 module , storing an S - band antenna , work on the Integrated Truss Structure , and External Stowage Platform 2 . During the mission a solar array on the P6 truss tore requiring an emergency repair by Wheelock and Parazynski . Parazynski attached cufflinks to the solar array allowing it to expand without additional damage . Wheelock orbited the Earth 238 times during the 15 day mission . Soyuz TMA - 19 . Wheelock launched to the International Space Station on June 15 , 2010 , aboard the Soyuz TMA - 19 spacecraft with Fyodor Yurchikhin and Shannon Walker . ISS Expedition 24 . Wheelock joined the Expedition 24 crew in progress . During the mission he participated in several scientific investigations . On July 31 , 2010 a pump module on the exterior of the Space Station failed . Wheelock and Tracy Caldwell - Dyson made three spacewalks to replace the module . The failed pump module was later returned home on STS - 135 . ISS Expedition 25 . On September 22 , 2010 , Wheelock took command of the International Space Station at the beginning of Expedition 25 . He is the first U . S . Army officer to command the ISS . Wheelock and his crew continued science and maintenance of the space station . Wheelock is sharing pictures of the Earth , station and views of space via Twitter , as Soichi Noguchi did before him . In September 2010 , Wheelock tweeted photos from space of Hurricane Earl . He also participated in a NASA Tweetup on March 16 , 2011 . He became the first person to " check in " from space October 22 , using the mobile social networking application Foursquare . Wheelock ' s check - in to the International Space Station launched a partnership between NASA and Foursquare to connect its users to the space agency , enabling them to explore the universe and discover Earth . He returned to Earth on November 26 , 2010 aboard the Soyuz . Awards and decorations . Doug has also been awarded : Personal life . His hometown is Windsor , New York . Wheelock ' s parents , Olin and Margaret Wheelock , reside in upstate New York . In 1989 he was selected by the U . S . Jaycees as one of " Ten Outstanding Young Men of America " . In 1990 the Veterans of Foreign Wars selected Wheelock as an " Outstanding Spokesman for Freedom " . Organizations . Wheelock is a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots , the Society of American Military Engineers , the Association of the United States Army , and the Army Aviation Association of America .