Lt. Col. Michael Murphy, East Greenbush Resident, Takes Command of National Guard Battalion

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Lt. Col. Michael Murphy (left) recieves the colors of the 27th Brigade Special Troops Battalion during Change of Command Ceremonies. (Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Raymond Drumsta, 27th BCT)

LATHAM, NY (03/13/2012)(readMedia)-- New York Army National Guard Lt. Col. Michael Murphy, an East Greenbush resident, assumed command of the 27th Brigade Special Troops Battalion Feb. 18 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi.

The battalion, along with other elements of the New York Army National Guard's 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, is training at Camp Shelby in preparation for deployment of elements to Kuwait and Afghanistan later this spring.

Murphy, a veteran of twenty years in the Army National Guard, was serving as operations officer for the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team before taking the command. He has also served as operations officer for the 1st Battalion 69th Infantry in New York City. He was commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program in 1991 and served as a platoon leader and company commander as well. He deployed to Iraq with the 1st Battalion 69th Infantry in 2004-2005.

Murphy replaces Col. John Burke, a North Tonawanda resident, who was promoted and will take charge of a special detachment conducting operations on the Afghan border.

The 27th Brigade Special Troops Battalion is a unit that includes military intelligence, combat engineer, communications, military police, unmanned aerial reconnaissance, and chemical warfare elements which support brigade combat elements.

After training at Camp Shelby the Soldiers of the 27th Brigade Special Troops Battalion will be organized into nine teams serving under different commands in Afghanistan and Kuwait. Murphy is slated to command Task Force Badger, an 800- Soldier element made up of Army National Guard Soldiers from New York, South Carolina, California, and Kansas.

Lt. Col. Michael Murphy

Mike Murphy was commissioned in the Field Artillery on May 15, 1992. His past assignments within the 27th Infantry Brigade include platoon leader and company commander for the 1st Battalion, 105th Infantry Regiment and operations officer for the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry.

In his past 18 years, Lt. Col. Murphy has deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004-05 with the 1-69th Infantry Battalion Headquarters and served as the initial Task Force Logistics Officer during Operation Noble Eagle homeland security duties from September to November, 2001, following the 911 terrorist attacks.

Murphy also served as a battalion logistics officer during Exercise Northern Ice in Kevlavik, Iceland in 1998, as an infantry company commander for Exercise Mulberry Tree in Salisbury, England in 2003, and as an Infantry battalion operations officer during the Exercise Orient Shield in Japan in 2008.

Murphy is a graduate of the Armor Officer Basic Course, Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Engineer Officer Advanced Course and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. He is a 1991 graduate of Siena College where he majored in Political Science.

His awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, National Defense Service Ribbon with Oak Leaf Cluster, Humanitarian Service Ribbon, Armed Forces Service Ribbon, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with "M" device, Combat Infantry Badge, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Iraq Campaign Medal.

Murphy is the son of Michael P. Murphy of Hamilton, N.Y.