Have you ever looked up at the stars with curiosity, or dreamt of doing something extraordinary?
Colonel Robert Clyde “Bob” Springer didn’t just sit and wonder. He went out and took action — over and over again. Is he truly “The [Real] World’s Most Interesting Man”? One thing is certain: he’s lived a case study in choosing action over drift.
Marine. Combat pilot. TOP GUN Graduate. Astronaut. Two-time Shuttle crew member. Longtime Boeing team member. Husband. Father. Grandfather. The list goes on… A man who’s looked down on Earth from orbit and seen our divine place in the universe. If there’s anyone who embodies what it means to act instead of drift, it’s him.

Flew 300+ F-4 combat missions in Vietnam (some sources — wink — say 300 in F-4s + 200 in helicopters)
Logged 4,500+ flight hours, including 3,500+ in jet aircraft

Spent over 237 hours in space across two Shuttle missions: STS-29 (Discovery, 1989) and STS-38 (Atlantis, 1990)

Decorated veteran with honors including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, 21 Air Medals, Presidential Unit Citation, NASA Space Flight Medal, Navy Commendation and Achievement Medals

Graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Naval Test Pilot School; flew first flights of new helicopters (AH-1T); and held senior leadership/planning roles in the Marine Corps before NASA selection

The Conversation
In this episode of The Two Types of People, Pat Sitkins sits down with Colonel Robert “Bob” Springer to explore the line between Static and Moving. His stories — from Vietnam dogfights to launching Space Shuttles in the shadow of the Challenger disaster — aren’t just history lessons. They’re proof that life can be epic if you’re awake, ready to take action, and willing to do the work.
We cover:

Carrying confidence without arrogance when the stakes are life or death
Seeing opportunity in the moments others pull back
Why perspective from orbit changes everything
The mindset shift from “Why me?” to “What is this doing for me?”


This isn’t just about combat or space. It’s about the kind of person you choose to be when the world puts a decision in front of you.
Bob Springer made his choice — and lived a life that proves action creates legacy. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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