Uniformed Services University Graduate, Astronaut Frank Rubio Presented Elite Army Astronaut Device by Army Secretary

Army Col. (Dr.) Frank Rubio, an astronaut and Uniformed Services University class of 2010 alumnus, orbited Earth for 371 days, setting a U.S. record for the most days in space on a single spaceflight. 

Secretary of the U.S. Army Christine E. Wormuth presents the Army Astronaut Device to Col.

Frank Rubio, a NASA astronaut, during a pinning ceremony at the Pentagon Press Briefing Room

in Arlington, Va., Feb. 22, 2024. Rubio was awarded for holding the U.S. record for the most days

in space for a single spaceflight. With this award, Rubio joins Col. Anne McClain and Col. Andrew

Morgan as the only active-duty soldiers authorized to wear the device. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt.

Deonte Rowell)

February 27, 2024 by David Vergun

Army Col. (Dr.) Frank Rubio, an astronaut and Uniformed Services University class of 2010 alumnus, orbited Earth for 371 days, setting a U.S. record for the most days in space on a single spaceflight. 

Rubio "is a stellar example of the Army's core values and what it means to lead a life of service," said Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, who presented him with the Army Astronaut Device during a pinning ceremony at the Pentagon Feb. 22. 

Those core values, she said, include leadership, team building and resilience. All values that have served him well on Earth and in space. 

U.S. Army Col. Frank Rubio, a NASA astronaut, arrives at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., Feb. 22,
2024, before the pinning ceremony. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Joseph Spraktes)

There are only two other active-duty soldiers who have this device today, she noted. 

"Col. Rubio has a powerful U.S. Army story to tell, how his experiences in the Army developed him into the leader he is today and how he has managed to maintain strong relationships with his family that weathered deployments everywhere on Earth, as well as in space," she said. 

Among the places he deployed to were Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. During those deployments, he logged over 600 combat flight hours piloting his Black Hawk helicopter, she said. 

Besides being an astronaut, Rubio is also a medical doctor and has worked in a number of Army medical treatment facilities, Wormuth said. 

Rubio said what he did was a team accomplishment — the teams being the Army and NASA, as well as his wife and four children. 

Of his family, Rubio said, "Without them and the support that I get from them, none of this would have been possible." He also thanked the NASA team who provided him with outstanding training. 

Young soldiers today have great opportunities to make incredible achievements, he said. 

Rubio's 371 days started Sept. 21, 2022, when he left Earth on the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station. 

On Sept. 27, he landed back on Earth, having traveled 157,412,306 statute miles. During his time in space, he saw the arrival of 15 visiting space vehicles to the space station, and he conducted three spacewalks that totaled 21 hours, 24 minutes.

The Army Aviation Badge with Astronaut Device on display prior to the pinning ceremony.

(U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Deonte Rowell)