From his outpost in outer space, Williams quipped to the wounded, "How often do you see a colonel do a somersault for you?"

The video conference was arranged after Williams asked NASA to reconnect him with wounded Soldiers. Some of the BAMC patients had already met the astronaut once through a video teleconference when they toured the Johnson Space Center in Houston in June.

"This is the International Space Station, can you hear me?" said Williams. The group responded, "Loud and clear."

Williams told the wounded Soldiers that not a day goes by that he didn't think about troops fighting in the war on terror. As he welcomed the group aboard the International Space Station, he said he considered the wounded Soldiers heroes.

"I think very highly of those who are willing to serve our country and put themselves in harm's way - those who understand what duty and service is," he said. "You all have demonstrated that and made some obvious sacrifices."

Recounting a busy week at the space station, Williams said Shuttle Atlantis docked and astronauts conducted two space walks. The view from the shuttle was fantastic, with the shuttle orbiting the earth every 90 minutes, he added.

Williams said he was looking forward to returning to Earth. "You can relate to being in far off places for way too long," he said.

Williams launched to space March 30 along with Russian cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov, arriving at the International Space Station April 1. The three-member crew that also included German astronaut Col. Thomas Reiter is set to return to Earth in two weeks.

The Army astronaut said that although he had spent a long time in what he affectionately referred to as a "tin can," and away from family, he never experienced any boredom in space. With free time, he finds a window with a view to the Earth below.

The Soldiers asked him about sleeping in space.

The Army astronaut said he slips into a special sleeping bag in a crew area.

"Sleeping is a little tough to get used to," Williams said. "I want to find a place to put my head and you just don't do that up here."

The astronaut said that although he was eating well and exercising on a treadmill, he had dropped eight to 10 pounds.

Asked about the chow, Williams told the group that MREs - meals ready to eat - were also available in space.

Asked where he we would eat first when he returned to the United States, Williams gave a smart reply.

"I'll probably eat a meal prepared by my wife - she's a great cook." After that he said he would be looking for Tex-Mex food or a big Texas steak.

One of the wounded asked Williams if he thought the flight doctors would ever allow an amputee to go up in space.

"I'd say never give up," Williams said. "Some of you and those who have gone before you have proven that you can do some pretty incredible things, even after amputation. So whatever your goals might be, I'd say pursue them and don't give up."

From his perch in space, Williams said he was rooting for the Army to win the West Point vs. Texas A and M match.

The Army astronaut said he planned to visit BAMC with his wife after getting back to Texas. Thanking the wounded for their service, he signed off by reminding them that "the cause is important and I know you are thinking about your buddies back in theater as I am."

Related Links
Space Shuttle News at Space-Travel.Com

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