WASHINGTON (Army News Service) -- Over the past year guiding the Army as its chief management officer, Under Secretary of the Army Patrick Murphy has had a whirlwind experience.
Just three days on the job, he assumed the role as the Army's acting secretary until mid-May when Eric Fanning's nomination was confirmed by the Senate. He traveled the world, visiting dozens of bases and shaking hands with thousands of Soldiers. He listened to their concerns and even broke a sweat with them during strenuous physical training.
With his sociable personality and an open mind toward social media, he passionately pushed his initiatives: Soldier for Life, public-private partnerships and innovation, hoping to build a better, stronger Army for years to come.
Today, the walls of his Pentagon office are bare of his belongings in preparation for new leadership to take the helm. Yet, neither the emptiness of his office nor the upcoming changes in Army leadership seem to have affected Murphy's positive attitude toward the future.
"I'm excited about the next steps," he said from his office Thursday, the day before Inauguration Day. "I gave every ounce of energy I could this past year, so I have no regrets. I am hopeful that what we accomplished this year will continue."
During his tenure, the Soldier for Life campaign linked more than 1,000 private and public organizations to Soldiers and spouses, helping them land more than 1.2 million jobs. As a result, the Army saved $330 million in unemployment benefits and made sure Soldiers leaving the service were set up for success, he said.
Murphy hopes that departing Soldiers will, along with squashing the myth that most veterans are homeless, carry themselves with a kind of "swagger," since they're better qualified than many of their civilian counterparts.
"They can go and do anything that they want to do," he said of Army veterans. "They make $10,000 more [a year], on average, than civilians once they get out. We expect them to continue to do great things once they leave our ranks."
With the Army dealing with budget cuts, Murphy also looked at private-public partnerships to find efficiencies and redirect more funds to readiness programs.
For instance, the Army received $175 million in revenue from the work at over 20 Army facilities that overhaul, modernize and upgrade major weapons systems. The Army also opened the Defense Department's largest solar panel field, part of $1 billion in energy performance contracts to utility companies.
Murphy also enlisted the help of personal finance expert Suze Orman to educate Soldiers and their families in getting them financially secure. Plans are underway to get the TV personality out to installations visiting troops in the near future, the under secretary said.
"That's our way forward," he said. "To better connect with the 99 percent who don't serve but who are willing to be part of the solution."
Keeping the Army ahead of near-peer adversaries was also a big focus for Murphy. That included a large emphasis on armor, cyber and electronic warfare, and a newly installed Rapid Capabilities Office that handles long-term acquisitions like future vertical lift, the development of new helicopters.
"We're pretty confident that this year we will have the demo done [on an] aircraft that goes twice as fast as a regular helicopter for twice the distance," he said. "That will be a game-changer on the battlefield."
There were also major DOD mandates that allowed women to serve in all of the military's combat roles and lifted the ban on transgender service members serving openly.
"To have three women graduate the toughest leadership school in the world, that was pretty awesome," he said, referring to the Army Ranger School. "It's been a pretty transformational year for our Army."
For Murphy, interacting with Soldiers was perhaps the best part, he said.
In February, about a month into the job, he traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan. He arrived in Baghdad in the early morning, but still woke up to perform PT with Soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division, the unit he once deployed to Iraq with 13 years ago as a military justice officer.
During PT, he teamed up with Maj. Gen. Richard Clarke, the division's commander at the time, and kept up with him during a variety of exercises.
"The fact I was neck-and-neck with him on three hours of sleep, it showed that I still got it," he said, smiling.
While visiting the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan, he knocked out some more PT, including fireman carrying a 220-pound Soldier for 50 meters.
"I would do whatever they were doing," he said. "You have that shared sacrifice. A lot of times, they'd say, 'Thanks for doing this.'"
The under secretary also used social media to reach out to Soldiers. One night, a Soldier out of Fort Hood, Texas, contacted him and said he was about to commit suicide. Murphy quickly relayed the Soldier's call for help to his chain of command.
"They found that Soldier before he did something permanent," Murphy said. "Being responsive like that, I think, is critically important."
Murphy, who was also the first Iraq War veteran to serve in Congress, hopes to continue his work as a public servant, especially with the Army.
"I'm still going to be part of the Army family for years to come," he said. "I'll figure out a way to serve in some capacity."
As for the future Army leadership, he said he's a "huge fan" of secretary of the Army nominee Vincent Viola, whose Senate confirmation hearing is slated for next month.
"Vinny is the embodiment of Soldier for Life," he said of Viola, a former Army Ranger and now a billionaire entrepreneur. "I know he has a lot of great ideas. He will hit the ground running."
(Follow Sean Kimmons on Twitter: @KimmonsARNEWS)
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