| EGR man will aid shuttle investigation
By Kat Meyer
Community News Editor
East Grand Rapids native Stephen Turcotte said he isn’t happy about what might be the biggest call of duty in his naval career.
The 49-year-old is the commander of the Naval Safety Center in Louisiana and will head down to Saturday’s wreckage of space shuttle Columbia.
His father, Dr. Vincent Turcotte, who still lives in East Grand Rapids, told the Grand Rapids Press that life in the Navy was the life his son always wanted.
“He really loved the Navy,” said the elder Turcotte, who works as a cardiologist and administrator at what is now know as Spectrum Health Blodgett hospital before retiring in 2000. Stephen Turcotte, his son, will be heading down to the debris left by Columbia, is a 1971 graduate of East Grand Rapids High School.
After graduation he attended Marquette University, where he began his career in 1977 and served in several positions working toward his master’s degree. In May, 1983, he was assigned as Aide and Flag Lieutenant to Commander Sixth Fleet, deployed in the eastern Mediterranean. As Commander of the safety center, Turcotte has investigated numerous military plane crashes.
Turcotte is considered one of the top investigators in the U.S., this may be his highest pro-file assignment. As Commander of the safety center, he is a member of the Space Shuttle Mishap Interagency Investigation Board.
The board was created after the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in the Jan. 28, 1986 disaster that killed seven.The board has been involved in training exercises in case an unthinkable accident should happen.
This is the first time the investigation board will be used. They are assisted by other federal agencies, along with state and local law enforcement. This team reports to the seven-member independent review team, which includes Turcotte.
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