Intentional Stress Challenge: Murph

Tribute to and progressive challenge series based on the life of Lieutenant Michael Murphy.

Michael Murphy

In September of 2013, I checked into Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island where I’d be spending the next five weeks completing Officer Development School - a program designed to prepare Staff Corps officers to serve and lead in the United States Navy. Staff Corps refers to specialty areas such as healthcare, law, engineering, logistics, or chaplaincy where officers are commissioned to provide their subject matter expertise to the military. A modified boot camp, this program is essentially a leadership retreat tailored to teaching and promoting skills for success in the Navy.

As I checked into King Hall on the first day, I decided to check out the nearby training facility and Navy Exchange for some last-minute items. I saw the pool I’d be doing some of our skill development and testing in was named the Michael P. Murphy Combat Training Pool. The name rang a bell, but I couldn’t place it at the time. Within the Exchange, there was a recommended reading bookshelf. I scrolled through the titles and saw, Seal of Honor: Operation Red Wings and the Life of Lt Michael P. Murphy, USN. Reading the summary, I quickly remembered why I knew Michael’s name, he was the SEAL team leader of Operation Red Wings - a reconnaissance mission in Afghanistan made famous by the book Lone Survivor. Having already read Lone Survivor several years earlier, I was interested in learning more about the man who received a posthumous Medal of Honor due to his heroic actions on the tragic day in 2005.

I thoroughly enjoyed Officer Development School. My teammates, instructors, and the programs I went through all offered tremendous value in helping someone with no prior military experience gather some knowledge in a relatively short amount of time. It was reading through SEAL of Honor twice, however, that provided me with the consistent reminder of the opportunity I was pursuing - I’m training to serve those who serve. My job, as a Staff Officer, is to support all of the incredible men and women who volunteer to defend our country and allies around the world. In uniform, I definitely make sacrifices in support of the many roles I have but there are levels to this game. Look no further than the special operations community in what it takes to first become and even harder to continually serve as an operator.

I’ve always drawn inspiration from the various tactical communities throughout the military and the incredible personal or team stories that get told.

Michael Murphy’s story continues to be one of my favorites.

SEAL of Honor came to me at an important time in my life. Reading it while I was learning how to be an officer in the military taught me a powerful lesson - I can always choose to be and do good no matter how much perceptual bad I’m surrounded by.

What resonated with me most about Michael is that he was a good man. Exceptional SEAL with savage accomplishments while remaining good. Both Lone Survivor and SEAL of Honor demonstrate Michael’s character and the admiration all of his teammates and family had for him throughout his life.

Michael Murphy was a man of virtue. His biography demonstrates the will he possessed since childhood to protect and serve others. To do the right thing regardless of adversity. To sacrifice for the greater good. To lead by character. To be the best that he could be.

Character is something we can always strive for.

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Progressive Challenge Series

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Basic Challenge: Read SEAL of Honor.