EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AND MODERNIZING THE ARMY
that fell under the field artillery, air defense artillery, multido- main task force or space portfolios. He said it was from attending those briefs, and having the ability to be involved in managing the development of the technology that Soldiers use, that he became convinced he wanted to become an acquisition officer.
“I was an operations officer and a battery commander in 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery in Okinawa, Japan before the HQDA [Headquarters Department of the Army] job in the Pentagon. Being based on Kadena Airbase, everything we did required working with joint and Japanese partners. Before we had a BDE [Brigade] stand up to support, we had to directly plan with USARPAC [United States Army Pacific] and USINDOPACOM [United States Indo-Pacific Command] on multiple exercises where we moved the batteries from Okinawa to all across Japan via air and sea,” he said. “You learn quickly the value of proac- tive networking and good time management.”
NEW TERRITORY
Murphy, back right, and his family exploring their new home station in Huntsville, Alabama in November 2023. From left, back row is his wife, Heather, and children Evan and Ciara. In front from left is Ashling, Lily, Aidan and Brendan. (Photo courtesy of Stephen Murphy)
Murphy recently graduated from the Army Acquisition Tran- sition Course (AATC) in late September 2023. “It was a lot of new information to master in a relatively short amount of time,” he said. “While the course familiarizes you with your new field, there is nothing quite like experience to properly understand the concepts. I wish the course was much longer to explore more of the various acquisition pathway programs in detail, but I think the intention is to get you into the field as quickly as possible.”
One of the most interesting things about this work, he said, is how many program and product offices must work in synchro- nization to get a payload to the warfighter. “It’s not the sole responsibility of a single office, but the collective expertise across multiple offices who excel in various disciplines to get from a requirement to a fielded system.”
Although this is Murphy’s first acquisition position, he has ten years of experience as a Patriot Air Defense artillery officer under his belt, where he said he acquired most of his valuable time management skills.
In 2021, he was in a broadening assignment as the Fires Personnel Systems staff officer in the Headquarters Department of the Army G1 Military Structures and Plans Division. While in that capac- ity, he attended dozens of Army Requirements Oversight Council Review Board and Army Requirements Oversight Council Capa- bilities Board meetings as the G1 representative for anything
He said he believes he’s too new to acquisitions to have given advice to junior personnel, but there are a few good books out there he’d recommend like Defense Acquisition University’s “A Guide for DOD Program Managers” that covers all the over- arching program management topics in layman’s terms. “Tat particular book was recommended to me by my [then] future product manager, Sean Tynan, and was an excellent supplement to the AATC course load,” he said.
Reading is a great resource for Murphy when it comes to the world of Army acquisition, but outside of work, he could prob- ably write a book about family and work-life balance. “Anyone outside of work would know me for being the husband of a great woman [Heather], the father of six incredible children, the adher- ent of an ever-growing Christian faith, and for being unhealthily obsessed with the fortunes of the Arsenal Football Club,” he said. “Te lessons I’ve learned from achieving a balance in my personal life have been equally useful when applied to my professional life. No problem at work can phase someone with six children.”
—CHERYL MARINO
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