Photo By Tech. Sgt. Anthony Hyatt | Chief Master Sgt. Jeremy Murphy, 363d Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance...... read more read more
(This article is part of the "363d ISR Wing Meet the Pride" series. The purpose is to interview group/squadron commanders and senior leaders to learn more about them and highlight who they are to the Wing.)
Chief Master Sgt. Jeremy Murphy is the Senior Enlisted Leader (SEL) for the 363d Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group. Prior to assuming his current position in February 2022, Murphy served as the SEL for the 30th Intelligence Squadron supporting signals and intelligence processing, exploitation, and dissemination for the RQ-4 and U-2 aircraft, along with leading 11 analytic exploitation teams producing multi-source intelligence supporting AFCENT and joint warfighters within the CENTCOM area of responsibility.
The 363 ISRG consists of three active duty, and 14 Air National Guard and Reserve squadrons tasked with producing and delivering target analysis, geospatial intelligence (GEOINT), all-source intelligence, signals intelligence (SIGINT), specialized training, and integrating kinetic and non-kinetic effects for the USAF and Combatant Commands around the globe.
During the interview, we got to learn about Chief Murphy’s best experiences during his current 27-year Air Force career, a couple of practices he wish he had did sooner in his life, some of the struggles he faced, and what ultimately helped shape him into the person he is today.
Why did you join the Air Force? What career field did you come in as?
I joined the Air Force because I wasn’t able to afford to go to college and didn’t really have a purpose or direction in life. I knew that the Air Force would give me a good pay, a roof over my head, teach me a job skill, and some discipline. I came in as an Electronic Signals Intelligence (ELINT) Analyst (1N2X1A).
What has been your best experiences in the Air Force so far and why?
I think my best strictly Air Force experience was my time at the 527th Space Aggressor Squadron [in Schriever AFB, Colo.]. When I arrived it was a new mission and I was one of two ELINT Analysts. We were given a lot of latitude to figure out what our adversaries were developing for threats to our space assets. We bought and built equipment to replicate those threats and travelled to a lot of exercises to teach blue forces how to work in and identify space electronic warfare threats. One of my favorite memories was working with AFSOC pre-Operation Iraqi Freedom to get them ready for the threats they would encounter. During one of those trips, I got to do a check-ride on a MH-53 (PAVE LOW) helicopter.
What are some struggles you faced in your career?
I’ve definitely had my fair share of struggles. But in particular, my last deployment in 2016 was kind of the straw that broke the camel’s back. Multiple deployments, my unrealistic expectations for myself, self-doubt, and self-criticism left me in a pretty bad place. I struggled a lot during that deployment.
During my redeployment, I had to meet with a psychologist at NSA-Ft Meade. I’m pretty good at hiding my emotions but she must have seen something because she recommended that I get help from mental health at home station. When I got back home, I continued to struggle. I was having anxiety and panic attacks but wasn’t willing to admit to myself that I needed help. There were a couple of events that I think pushed me towards help. But I remember a particular night when I was out for a walk with my wife and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew I needed help and that if I didn’t muster the courage to get help that it wasn’t going to end well.
So I went to mental health. They set me up with Dr. Kennedy. She and I worked through a lot together and I’m particularly grateful for her. She taught me a lot of tools to help myself. It’s been a long road and I am much better. But I still use those tools on a regular basis to make sure that I stay healthy. And I know that if I ever feel like I need help, mental health is there. I have to give my command team at the time, Col. Atwood, CMSgt Seballes and CMSgt Tierney a ton of credit. They were compassionate and supportive through the whole process. They gave me the room I needed to get healthy while allowing me to keep grounded in operations.
Is there an event in your life/career that has shaped you the most as a person/Airman?
Marriage is probably the #1 thing that shaped me as a person. I was a bit of a knucklehead as a young Airman. I learned from a lot of my mistakes but it wasn’t until I got married that I really started looking beyond the here and now. Before marriage, the things I did only impacted me. But we are a blended family so from day one - I had to think about how my actions impact both my wife and my step-son.
What's something you wish you knew as a young Airman that you know now?
Two things, which are not so much of a “wish I knew” but “wish I did,” I wish I had been better with my money, paid more attention to wants versus needs, and saved more. Second, I wish I had started my college education earlier.
What's your best advice you like to share with Airmen?
One of my values is discipline. I think that discipline is at the root of a lot of the things we do, and will make you a better person, and will make you feel better about yourself. It is a habit and like any habit needs to be practiced. And the more you practice it the better you will get. Admiral McRaven has a great quote on this, “If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another.”
What makes you happy?
So much makes me happy: my wife, my kids, my family, my dogs, my co-workers, my Airmen, running, biking, hanging out with friends, playing video games. I’m a pretty simple person.
| Date Taken: | 05.26.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 05.26.2022 08:26 |
| Story ID: | 421570 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 126 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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