Air Force picks astronaut as new AD

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Mar 1, 2004 | by TODD JACOBSON THE GAZETTE

Former academy football player and astronaut Michael Bloomfield will be named Air Force's athletic director as early as today, sources said Sunday.

Bloomfield, 44, reached at his home in Houston on Sunday, declined comment, but academy spokesman Johnny Whitaker said a news conference is tentatively scheduled for this afternoon at the new Falcon athletic complex.

Whitaker declined to discuss the topic of the news conference, but sources confirmed Bloomfield, a colonel, will be named by Superintendent Lt. Gen. John W. Rosa to succeed Col. Randy Spetman.

The announcement is likely to come today, but Whitaker said there is the possibility the news conference could be postponed a day or two because of Rosa's schedule.

Spetman announced his retirement in October after eight years, citing a change in the academy's chain of command as part of the reason.

Spetman left his position Jan. 2, and vice athletic director Brad DeAustin has served as the acting athletic director the past two months. It is unclear when Bloomfield will take over as athletic director.

Like Spetman, Bloomfield played football at the academy before a career in the Air Force. Bloomfield was a twoyear letterman at linebacker, and captain of the Falcons' 1980 squad.

He was named to the Western Athletic Conference all-academic football team that sea- son, which was current Air Force football coach Fisher DeBerry's first year as an assistant at the academy.

After graduating from the academy in 1981, Bloomfield completed pilot training, and flew F-15s and F-16s until he reported to the Johnson Space Center in Houston in 1995.

Bloomfield has logged more than 753 hours in space as the pilot of three missions, twice on the shuttle Atlantis and once on the shuttle Endeavour.

As recently as April of 2002, Bloomfield piloted the shuttle Atlantis on a mission to the International Space Station.

Bloomfield was in Colorado Springs last month when he spoke at a banquet for Air Force's football team Feb. 13 at the Broadmoor International Center. At the banquet, he explained how his experiences as an athlete at the academy helped him in his career as an Air Force officer.

Bloomfield, who was born in Flint, Mich., is married, and has two children.