Charles O. Hobaugh - Military Career

Military Career

Hobaugh received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps upon graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy in May 1984. He graduated from The Basic School in December 1984. After a six month temporary assignment at the Naval Air Systems Command, he reported to Naval Aviation Training Command and was designated a Naval Aviator in February 1987. He then reported to VMAT-203 for initial AV-8B Harrier training. Upon completion of this training, he was assigned to VMA-331 and made overseas deployments to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, and flew combat missions in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm embarked aboard the USS Nassau. While assigned to VMA-331, he attended Marine Aviation Warfare and Tactics Instructor Course and was subsequently assigned as the Squadron Weapons and Tactics Instructor. Hobaugh was selected for U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and began the course in June 1991.

After graduation in June 1992, he was assigned to the Strike Aircraft Test Directorate as an AV-8 Project Officer and as the ASTOVL/JAST/JSF Program Officer. While there, he flew the AV-8B, YAV-8B (VSRA) and A-7E. In July 1994, he went back to the Naval Test Pilot School as an Instructor in the Systems Department, where he flew the F-18, T-2 Buckeye, U-6A and gliders. Hobaugh was assigned to the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School when he was selected for the astronaut program. In September 2010 he retired from the U.S. Marine Corps.

Prior to the launch of STS-118, several reporters asked Hobaugh the meaning of his call-sign, "Scorch". Hobaugh has yet to explain it, saying he probably won't; he feels it sounds better if you don't know the origin of the name. He did admit that it is related to his days of flying Harrier jets in the Marines, but would say no more than that.

Hobaugh has logged over 5,000 flight hours in more than 40 different aircraft and has over 200 V/STOL shipboard landings.