George D . Zamka George David " Zambo " Zamka ( born 1962 ) is an American NASA astronaut and United States Marine Corps pilot with over 3500 flight hours in more than 30 different aircraft . Zamka piloted the Space Shuttle " Discovery " in its October 2007 mission to the International Space Station and served as the commander of mission STS - 130 in February 2010 . Personal . George David Zamka was born in Jersey City , New Jersey in 1962 . He was raised in New York City ; Irvington , New York ; Medellin , Colombia , ; and Rochester Hills , Michigan . He graduated from Rochester Adams High School in Michigan in 1980 . Zamka is married and has two children . His extended family resides in Colorado , Mississippi , Georgia , Indiana , Florida and Tennessee . Zamka is of Colombian and Polish ancestry . Military career . Zamka graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the United States Naval Academy in 1984 . He was then commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps . He received A - 6E Intruder training at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island , Washington in 1985 - 1987 . He was assigned to VMA ( AW ) - 242 at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro , California . In addition to flight safety and administration , he was a Squadron Weapons and Tactics instructor . In 1990 , he trained as an F / A - 18D Hornet pilot and was then assigned to VMFA ( AW ) - 121 . Zamka flew 66 combat missions during Operation Desert Storm . In 1993 , he was assigned to the 1st Battalion , 5th Marines at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton , California as a forward air controller . In December 1994 , he graduated from the U . S . Air Force Test Pilot School , following which , he served as an F / A - 18 Hornet test pilot and operations officer . In 1997 , he earned a Masters of Science degree in Engineering Management from the Florida Institute of Technology . In 1998 , he returned to VMFA ( AW ) - 121 and deployed to MCAS Iwakuni , Japan . In August 2010 , Zamka retired from the Marine Corps after almost 30 years of distinguished service . Zamka still works with NASA . NASA career . In June 1998 , Zamka was selected for the NASA astronaut program , and reported for training in August . He served as lead for the Shuttle training and procedures division and as supervisor for the astronaut candidate class of 2004 . Zamka made his first spaceflight as the pilot of mission STS - 120 , and second as the commander for STS - 130 . Awards and honors . Zamka has received the following honors and awards : the Legion of Merit , Distinguished Flying Cross , Defense Meritorious Service Medal , Meritorious Service Medal , Navy Strike Air Medal ( 6 ) , Navy Commendation Medal with Combat " V " , and various other military service and campaign awards . Distinguished Graduate , U . S . Naval Academy . Commodore ’ s list and Academic Achievement Award , Training Air Wing Five . Recipient of the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal , two NASA Space Flight Medal s , four NASA Superior Accomplishment Awards and the GEM Award . He received also Officer ' s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland ( 2010 ) . Promotional activities . In March 2008 , Zamka visited Colombia ' s Planetarium of Bogotá with the crew of mission STS - 120 to share their experience as NASA astronauts with 200 students , 50 teachers , and 20 science major experts .