Table of Contents
Title Page
Dedication
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Introduction
CHAPTER ONE - The Knock on the Door
Tuesday, June 28, 2005, Kunar Province, Afghanistan
Tuesday, June 28, 2005, Patchogue, New York
Wednesday, June 29, 2005, Long Island, New York
Wednesday, June 29, 2005, Naval Special Warfare Command (NAVSPECWARCOM), ...
Long Island, New York
Assembling the Support Network
CHAPTER TWO - Vigil for the Valiant
Thursday-Friday, June 30-July 1, 2005
Saturday, July 2, 2005
Sunday, July 3, 2005
Monday, July 4, 2005
The Inevitable
Tuesday, July 5, 2005, Dover Air Force Base, Delaware
Peace Be with You ... and Also with You
Michael’s Revenge
Wednesday, July 6, 2005
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Honoring a Hero
Clayton Funeral Home
CHAPTER THREE - Funeral for the Fallen
Funeral Preparations
Visitation: Monday, July 11, 2005
Arrival of the SEALs
Visitation: Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Family Prayer Service, Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Mass of Christian Burial
Placing of the Funeral Pall
Replacing the Flag
Funeral Procession
Military Honors
The Meaning of a Folded Flag
On Behalf of the President of the United States . . .
Home . . . Finally
A Final Message from Michael
On Permanent Station
CHAPTER FOUR - Seeds of Greatness
Canaan Elementary School
Saxton Middle School
CHAPTER FIVE - “The Protector”
Patchogue-Medford High School
Penn State University
CHAPTER SIX - Prep Schools for SEALs
Prep School for SEALs
History of the SEAL Recruiting District Assistance Council (RDAC)
RDAC Standards
Saturday, January 16, 1998
Saturday, February 20, 1998
Saturday, April 24, 1998
Spring of 1998
Saturday, May 16, 1998
Saturday, June 19, 1998
Waiting for Good News
Success Breeds Success
CHAPTER SEVEN - Officer Candidate School
The Power of Persistence
Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida
Indoctrination Week
Week Two
Week Three
Week 4
Weeks 5-6
Graduation
CHAPTER EIGHT - BUD/S: The Price of Admission
Indoctrination Course (Indoc)
First Phase
Second Phase
Third Phase
Graduation
CHAPTER NINE - Agoge: Earning the Trident
Army Jump School: The “Air” in Sea, Air, Land (SEAL)
Junior Officer Training Course (JOTC)
Range Safety Officer Course
Dive Supervisor Course
Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE)
SEAL Qualification Training (SQT)
SQT Graduation
Cold-Weather Training—Kodiak Island, Alaska
SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) Training
CHAPTER TEN - Warrior Community and Structure
Overview
Mission
Structure
Primary or Core Missions
SEAL Missions
SEAL “Community”
CHAPTER ELEVEN - Deployment Work-up
Professional Development (PRODEV)
Unit Level Training (ULT)
Squadron Integration Training (SIT)
The Dangers of SEAL Training
CHAPTER TWELVE - Operation Enduring Freedom
At War
The Global War on Terror (GWOT)
The Final Visit Home
CHAPTER THIRTEEN - Afghanistan—Home of al-Qaeda
Afghanistan: An Overview
Afghanistan in the Wake of the 9/11 Attacks
Naval Special Warfare Reorganization
April 26, 2005, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan
General Orientation Briefing
On the Move
CHAPTER FOURTEEN - When Character Met Circumstance: Operation Red Wings
Kunar Province
Operation Red Wings: Planning
Operation Red Wings: The Mission
Father’s Day
The Reconnaissance Element
The Plan
Bagram Airfield, Sunday, June 26, 2005
Operation Red Wings: Execution
The Battle for Murphy’s Ridge
“Iron-Souled Warrior”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN - Rescue Mission
The Loss of Turbine 33
Rescue to Recovery
July 3, 2005
CHAPTER SIXTEEN - Answering the Call
Erik S. Kristensen, Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy
Michael M. McGreevy Jr., Lieutenant, U.S. Navy
Daniel R. Healy, Senior Chief Petty Officer, U.S. Navy
Eric Shane Patton, Petty Officer Second Class, U.S. Navy
Jeffrey Allen Lucas, Petty Officer First Class, U.S. Navy
Jacques Jules Fontan, Chief Petty Officer, U.S. Navy
Jeffrey Scott Taylor, Petty Officer First Class, U.S. Navy
James E. Suh, Petty Officer Second Class, U.S. Navy
Stephen C. Reich, Major, U.S. Army
Chris J. Scherkenbach, Chief Warrant Officer 4, U.S. Army
Cory J. Goodnature, Chief Warrant Officer 3, U.S. Army
James W. “Tre” Ponder III, Master Sergeant, U.S. Army
Michael L. Russell, Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army
Marcus V. Muralles, Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army
Shamus O. Goare, Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
Kip Allen Jacoby, Sergeant, U.S. Army
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - No One Left Behind
July 3, 2005
July 4, 2005
July 5, 2005—Ramp Ceremony
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - In the Presence of Warriors
July 8, 2005: Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek, Virginia
July 11, 2005: National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
CHAPTER NINETEEN - Memorials to a Hero
Little League Baseball Fields, April 29, 2006
Lake Ronkonkoma, May 7, 2006
Navy Memorial, September 16, 2006
Continuing to Wait
Patchogue Federal Post Office, October 24, 2006
January 30, 2007
January 31, 2007
February 1, 2007
Additional Memorials and Honors
CHAPTER TWENTY - Of Service and Sacrifice
Quick Travel Preparations
FDNY to Washington, D.C.
Another Round of Media Interviews
Washington, D.C.—October 21, 2007
Arlington National Cemetery—October 21, 2007
Wreath-laying Ceremony for Michael’s Teammates
Tomb of the Unknowns
The Capitol Building—October 22, 2007
The White House—October 22, 2007
Reception
Dinner with Admiral Roughead
The Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes—October 23, 2007
Induction to the Hall of Heroes
Medal of Honor Flag Ceremony, Navy Memorial
Medal of Honor Flag
United States Naval A
cademy, Annapolis, Maryland—October 24, 2007
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE - Growing Legacy
A Time of Tribute and Ceremony
The Power of a Legacy
Michael Murphy Memorial Trophy
The Nature of a Legacy
Postscript
Epilogue
APPENDIX - Naval Special Warfare Community Support Groups
SOURCES
INDEX
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Copyright Page
To my father, Richard A. Williams, a decorated Korean War veteran who instilled in his children a near-reverent respect for those who wear our nation’s uniforms.
And to all those who went to war to defend our nation’s freedom, but never returned.
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
ACLS Advance cardiac life support
ACM Anticoalition militia
AF Assault force
AFB Air Force Base
AOIC Assistant officer in charge
AOR Assistant operations officer
ASDS Advance SEAL Delivery System
BATS Bleeding, airway, tension pneumothorax, and shock
BUD/S Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL
CACO Casualty Assistance Calls Officer
Candi-O Candidate officer
CAO Civil affairs operation
CENTCOM Central Command
CERTEX Certification training exercise
CFC-A Combined Forces Coalition-Afghanistan
CIA Central Intelligence Agency
CJSOTF-A Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force- Afghanistan
CJTF Combined Joint Task Force
CJTF-HOA Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa
CNO Chief of naval operations
CP Counterproliferation
CPO Chief petty officer
CQD Close Quarters Defense
CSAR Combat search and rescue
CSC Combat Swimmer Course
CSST Combat Service Support Team
CT Counterterrorism
CTF Coalition Task Force
CTT Combat Training Tank
DA Direct action
DEVGRU Naval Special Warfare Development Group
DI Drill instructor
DMV Department of Motor Vehicles
DOR Drop on request
DUSTWUN Duty Station Whereabouts Unknown
DZ Drop zone
EOD Explosive ordnance disposal
FDNY New York City Fire Department
FID Foreign internal defense
FLIR Forward-looking infrared
FOB Forward operating base
FRIES Fast rope insertion/extraction system
FTX Field training exercise
GPA Grade point average
GWOT Global War on Terror
HAHO High-altitude, high-opening
HALO High-altitude, low-opening
HLZ Helicopter landing zone
HQ Headquarters
IAD Immediate-action drill
IBS Inflatable boat, small
Indoc Indoctrination Course
IO Information operation
IRS Internal Revenue Service
J-bad Jalalabad, Afghanistan
JCET Joint/Combined Exchange Training
JOTC Junior Officer Training Course
LAR Lung-activated rebreather
LDA Lateral drift apparatus
LPO Leading petty officer
LUP Layup position
LZ Landing zone
MAS Military assault suit
MSC Mission Support Center
MOPH Military Order of the Purple Heart
MTT Military training test
NAS Naval air station
NATTC Naval Air Technical Training Center
NAVCENT Naval Forces Central Command
NAVSPECWARCOM Naval Special Warfare Command
NOMI Naval Operational Military Institute
NR Naval Reserve
NROTC Naval Reserve Officers Training Course
NSA Naval Support Activity
NSC National Security Council
NSW Naval Special Warfare
NSWDG Naval Special Warfare Development Group
NSWF Naval Special Warfare Foundation
NSWG Naval Special Warfare Group
NYU New York University
O-course Obstacle course
OCS OCS Officer Candidate School Officer Candidate School
OIC Officer in charge
PACOM Pacific Command
PC Patrol Coastal
PCU Protective combat unit
PEPSE Personal environmental protection and survival equipment
PFA Physical Fitness Assessment
PI Personnel inspection
PJs Pararescue jumpers
POW Prisoner of war
PRK Photorefractive keratectomy
PRODEV Professional development
PRT Physical Readiness Test
PSD Personnel Support Detachment
PST Pacific standard time; Physical Screening Test
PSU Penn State University
PSYOPS Psychological operations
PT Physical training
QRF Quick-reaction force
RDAC Recruiting District Assistance Council
RIS Rail interface system
RLI Room and locker inspection
ROEs Rules of engagement
RPG Rocket-propelled grenade
RSO Range safety officer
RTC Recruit Training Command
SATCOM Satellite communications
SBR Special Boat Squadron
SBU Special Boat Unit
SDV SEAL Delivery Vehicle
SDVT SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team
SEAL Sea, air, land
SERE Survival, evasion, resistance, escape
SETAF Southern European Task Force
SF Special Forces (Green Berets)
SFO(D) Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta
SIT Squadron Integration Training
SLT Swing landing trainer
SOAR Special Operations Aviation Regiment
SOC Special operations commander
SOCOM
SOF Special operations forces
SOMPE-M Special Operations Mission Planning
Environment-Maritime
SOP Standard operating procedure
SPIE Special Purpose Insertion/Extraction
SPOTC Senior Petty Officer Training Course
SQT SEAL Qualification Training
SR Special reconnaissance
SWCC Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen
TCCC Tactical combat casualty care
TIC Troops in contact (or combat)
UAE United Arab Emirates
UBA Underwater breathing apparatus
UDT Underwater Demolition Team
ULT Unit Level Training
UN United Nations
USMMA United States Merchant Marine Academy
USN United States Navy
USO United Service Organizations
USSOCOM United States Special Operations Command
UW Unconventional warfare
WMD Weapons of mass destruction
FOREWORD
Of the four Navy SEALs who inserted into the Hindu Kush Mountains, Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on that terrible day in June 2005, I personally knew three: Matt Axelson, Marcus Luttrell, and Danny Dietz. The one SEAL I did not know was Michael Murphy. Now, thanks to Gary Williams’ fine portrayal of Michael Murphy in SEAL of Honor, I know them all.
While I did not previously know Michael, my sense is that Gary’s assessment of this SEAL leader rings true. He seems very much like Tom Norris and Bob Kerrey, SEAL officers I do know well and who share that singular distinction as Medal of Honor recipients. Both Norris and Kerrey are humble, understated, introspective, and physically average. Both struggled in SEAL training, and once in the SEAL teams, took their duties seriously. Both
came from families and communities who raised these future heroes with a strong sense of personal accountability and responsibility. And Tom Norris and Bob Kerry are both humble in light of their battlefield accomplishments, almost to the point of embarrassment, and invariably seek to deflect praise from themselves to others who served with them. Had he lived, I think Michael Murphy would have been much the same.
Michael Murphy also shares that quality of selfless devotion to his duty and to his brother SEALs as did two other “Mikes” who were awarded the Medal of Honor. Mike Thornton and Mike Monsoor both risked all in deadly combat to go to the aid of their teammates. In the case of Mike Monsoor, he too gave his life so that others would have a chance to live.
In the words of William Holden in the closing scenes in of the movie The Bridges of Toko-Ri, “Where do we find such men?” The great American poet Carl Sandburg once said, “Valor is a gift. Those having it never know for sure whether they have it till the test comes. And those having it in one test never know for sure if they will have it when the next test comes.”
Major Dick Winters, of Band of Brothers fame, when asked by his granddaughter if he was a hero, answered, “No, but I served in the company of heroes.” I also feel that I have known some heroes from my generation who fought in Vietnam to the current generation of special warriors in the field today. They come from a variety of educational backgrounds and physical gifts; there is no prototype and no common trait save that of character. Like Robert Holden’s character in Bridges, I’ve often wondered where, indeed, do we find such men. SEAL training, so ably documented in this work, may refine the character of a hero. However, they don’t train men to be heroes, nor does SEAL training select men who are predisposed to heroic acts. It is my belief that those who perform such acts of valor are so inclined long before they enter military service or put on a uniform. With respect to Carl Sandberg, I believe this gift of valor is somehow imparted to our most gallant warriors by their families and their role models, and by the extended communities that help to raise them. Our military, and especially the Navy SEAL teams, have simply been blessed with young men who have been reared in an environment that stresses the Navy’s core values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment.