Randolph Bresnik

Randolph James "Komrade" Bresnik (born September 11, 1967) is a retired officer in the United States Marine Corps and an active NASA astronaut.

Bresnik graduated from Santa Monica High School in Santa Monica, California, in 1985.

He then earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics from The Citadel in 1989, and later a Master of Science degree in Aviation Systems from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville in 2002.

In May 1989, Bresnik received his commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps from the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps at The Citadel.

After graduation he attended The Basic School (TBS) and Infantry Officers Course (IOC) at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.

This marked the second time a space traveler became a parent while on orbit; it first happened when Franz Viehböck's daughter was born while he was in space in 1991.

Bresnik's wife Rebecca has worked at NASA as acting associate general counsel of its International, Space and National Security Law Group.

His father is Albert 'Randy' Bresnik, a pilot himself, serving in the Vietnam war and later in domestic duties.

His grandfather, Albert Louis 'Al' Bresnik, was Amelia Earhart's photographer.

Following Aviation Indoctrination and Primary flight training in Pensacola, Florida, he entered Intermediate and Advanced flight training in Beeville, Texas, and was designated a Naval Aviator in 1992.

Bresnik then reported to the Navy Fighter/Attack Training Squadron VFA-106, Naval Air Station Cecil Field, Florida, for initial F/A-18 training.

Upon completion of training, he reported to Marine Fighter/Attack Squadron, VMFA-212 at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, then MCAS El Toro, California, and additionally MCAS Miramar, California, where he made three overseas deployments to the Western Pacific.

While assigned to VMFA-212, he attended the Marine Corps Weapons and Tactics Instructors Course (WTI) and Naval Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN).

Bresnik was selected for the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, and began the course January 1999.

After graduation in December 1999, he was assigned as an F/A-18 Test Pilot/Project Officer at VX-23, the Naval Strike Aircraft Test Squadron (NSATS).

While at Strike, Bresnik flew the F/A-18 A-D and F/A-18 E/F in all manners of flight test.

In January 2001, he returned to the USNTPS as a Fixed-Wing and Systems Flight Instructor, where he instructed in the F/A-18, T-38 Talon, and T-2 Buckeye.

Bresnik returned to NSATS in January 2002 to continue flight test on the F/A-18 A-F as the Platform/Project Coordinator.

In November 2002, he reported to Marine Aircraft Group 11 (MAG-11) as the Future Operations Officer.

In January 2003, MAG-11 deployed to Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base, Kuwait.

From Al Jaber, he flew combat missions in the F/A-18 with VMFA(AW)-225 in support of Operation Southern Watch and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Bresnik was the Operations Officer of VMFA-232 when he was selected for the astronaut program.

Bresnik has logged more than 6,000 hours on 81 different aircraft.

During his military service he was awarded: Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Strike/Flight Air Medal (3), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat "V" (3), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (3), Presidential Unit Citation and various other service awards.

A Marine Aviator by trade, Bresnik was selected as a member of NASA Astronaut Group 19 in May 2004.

He first launched to space on STS-129, then served as flight engineer for Expedition 52, and as ISS commander for Expedition 53.

Bresnik was born in Fort Knox, Kentucky, but considers Santa Monica, California, to be his hometown.

Bresnik was selected by NASA in May 2004 as an astronaut candidate.

He was one of two pilots chosen in the Astronaut Class of 2004.

Bresnik's family includes his wife, Rebecca Burgin of Pompton Plains, New Jersey, a son Wyatt (2006), and a daughter Abigail Mae (2009) who was born while he was in orbit during STS-129.

In February 2006, he completed Astronaut Candidate Training.

He then graduated from the Air War College in 2008.

Randy is the first graduate of The Citadel to fly in space.

In September 2008 NASA announced that Bresnik was assigned as Mission Specialist STS-129, a shuttle mission to the International Space Station.

The mission was then slated to launch in October 2009 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery, although this was later pushed back to November 2009 aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis.

Bresnik and his five crew mates launched from the Kennedy Space Center on November 16, 2009, ahead of an approximately two day rendezvous with the ISS, following which the crew joined the Expedition 21 crew, Commanded by Belgian ESA astronaut Frank De Winne.

The main objective of STS-129 was to deliver and install the first two of four ExPRESS Logistics Carriers (ELCs) to the ISS.

Bresnik participated in the first analogue ESA CAVES mission in September 2011, staying underground and exploring the caves for 6 days, simulating Mars mission technologies.

On June 10, 2014, NASA announced that Bresnik would command the NEEMO 19 undersea exploration mission aboard the Aquarius underwater laboratory, which began on September 7, 2014, and lasted seven days.

Bresnik was the lead astronaut assigned to the closeout crew for the final STS-135 launch in the Shuttle program.