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Combined military service members and FDNY firefighters run the opening mile of the Armed Forces and FDNY Murph Challenge at U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hamilton, May 20, 2026. More than 70 participants from the U.S. Army, New York National Guard, Marine Corps and FDNY take on the grueling event — two one-mile runs bookending 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups and 300 squats — to honor Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a Long Island native killed in action during Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan in 2005. Murphy regularly performed the workout that now bears his name, originally calling it "Body Armor" for the weighted vest he wore while completing it. (U.S. Army photo by Mark Getman / Fort Hamilton Public Affairs)
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U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hamilton Garrison Commander Col. Melissa Cantwell presents a commander's challenge coin to Maureen Murphy, mother of Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy, during the installation's inaugural Armed Forces and FDNY Murph Challenge at Fort Hamilton, May 20, 2026. Maureen Murphy attended the first-ever Murph Challenge held at Fort Hamilton to honor the memory of her son, a Medal of Honor recipient and Long Island native killed in action during Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan in 2005. (U.S. Army photo by Mark Getman / Fort Hamilton Public Affairs)
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Murph Challenge participants wear a weighted vest during the Armed Forces and FDNY Murph Challenge at U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hamilton, May 20, 2026. Among the more than 70 combined military service members and FDNY firefighters who competed, many chose to complete the full event under load — mirroring the tactical vest Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy wore during the workout he called "Body Armor." Murphy, a Medal of Honor recipient and Long Island native, was killed in action during Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan in 2005. The weighted vest option represents the highest standard of the challenge and honors Murphy's commitment to preparing for the physical demands of combat. (U.S. Army photo by Mark Getman / Fort Hamilton Public Affairs)
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Service members and FDNY firefighters push through the calisthenics portion of the Armed Forces and FDNY Murph Challenge at U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hamilton, May 20, 2026. Among the more than 70 combined participants, competitors completed 200 push-ups and 300 squats as part of a full event that also included two one-mile runs, honoring Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a Medal of Honor recipient and Long Island native killed in action during Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan in 2005. The challenge reinforces the joint commitment of the military and first responder communities to sustained physical readiness and honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice. (U.S. Army photo by Mark Getman / Fort Hamilton Public Affairs)
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Combined military service members and FDNY firefighters, many wearing weighted vests, run the opening mile of the inaugural Armed Forces and FDNY Murph Challenge at U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hamilton, May 20, 2026. Participants who chose to complete the full event under load carried the added weight throughout the entire challenge — two one-mile runs, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups and 300 squats — mirroring the tactical vest Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy wore during the workout he originally called "Body Armor." Murphy, a Medal of Honor recipient and Long Island native, was killed in action during Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan in 2005. (U.S. Army photo by Mark Getman / Fort Hamilton Public Affairs)
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Combined military service members and FDNY firefighters power through the calisthenics portion of the inaugural Armed Forces and FDNY Murph Challenge at U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hamilton, May 20, 2026. Participants completed 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats and 300 sit-ups as part of the full challenge — bracketed by two one-mile runs, many under the added weight of a tactical vest — honoring Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a Medal of Honor recipient and Long Island native killed in action during Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan in 2005. (U.S. Army photo by Mark Getman / Fort Hamilton Public Affairs)
(Photo Credit: Mark Getman)VIEW ORIGINAL
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — More than 70 combined military service members and FDNY firefighters completed the first annual Armed Forces and FDNY Murph Challenge at U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hamilton, May 20, 2026, honoring Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a Medal of Honor recipient and Long Island native killed in action during Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan in 2005.
The inaugural joint fitness event, coordinated by Fort Hamilton and the Fire Department of New York, brought together participants from the U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hamilton, the New York City Recruiting Battalion, the New York National Guard's Joint Task Force Empire Shield, Marines from the 1st Marine Corps District, and FDNY firefighters — uniting the New York military and first responder communities in a shared commitment to physical readiness and honoring the fallen.
Competitors ran one mile, completed 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups and 300 squats, then finished with a final one-mile run. Many participants chose to complete the full event wearing weighted vests, mirroring the tactical vest Murphy wore during the workout he originally called "Body Armor" — a tribute to his belief that physical toughness and combat readiness are inseparable.
U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hamilton Command Sgt. Maj. Eric Riding praised all those who pushed through the demanding challenge under the heat of the day.
"I am incredibly proud of everyone who showed up and gave everything they had out there today," said Riding.
"To complete the Murph in that heat, alongside your brothers and sisters in arms and our FDNY partners, says everything about the character and commitment of this formation. This was just the beginning — we plan to grow this event and make it even bigger next year."
The challenge reinforces Fort Hamilton's mission of delivering essential base operations services, resilient infrastructure, and Soldier and Family support that keep the force mission-ready at home and downrange. Installation leaders expressed optimism that the event will continue to grow, deepening the bond between Fort Hamilton and the surrounding New York military and first responder communities.
Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on June 28, 2005, during Operation Red Wings in the Kunar Province of Afghanistan. He was 29 years old.
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