Photo By Marshall Mason | Col. Phillip P. Murrell, a seasoned U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal officer,...... read more read more
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ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – A seasoned U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal officer has taken the reins as the deputy commander for the U.S. military’s premier multifunctional and deployable Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) command.
Col. Phillip P. Murrell recently became the deputy commander for the U.S. Army 20th CBRNE Command on Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.
Raised in an Army family, Murrell was born in St. Cloud, Minnesota, but calls Las Vegas, Nevada, home because he has lived there the longest.
Murrell earned his bachelor’s degree in recreation from the University of Nevada. He also earned his master’s degree in business administration (MBA) focused on supply chain management from Arizona State University and his master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.
He wanted to become an Explosive Ordnance Disposal officer from the moment that he was commissioned into the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps.
“At the time, EOD had the legacy companies that didn’t have lieutenants in them,” said Murrell. “I had to wait until I was a captain for a slot, which was about the time the Army doubled the size of an EOD company and allowed lieutenants in them, no longer needing captains as the entry point for officers.”
Murrell credits Col. Fidel Arvelo with helping him to get into the course that led him to a career in the lifesaving and mission enabling Explosive Ordnance Disposal profession.
As the U.S. Army’s explosive experts, EOD technicians take on everything from hand grenades to nuclear weapons and defeat the explosive devices that imperil lives and impede missions.
“The highlight of my career was graduating from the Naval EOD School,” said Murrell. “I knew I wanted to be EOD even before I knew what the job was called. I found it serendipitous that I was commissioned in the Ordnance Corps, which EOD falls under. It was an academically stressful year, more so than the ones where I earned my bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees. I made a lot of friends and felt extremely fulfilled in July 2009 when I finally pinned on my Basic EOD Badge.”
Murrell deployed to Iraq as the commander of Company D, 407th Brigade Support Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade, in support of the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, from 2005 – 2007.
He later returned to Iraq as the assistant operations officer for the 242nd Ordnance Battalion (EOD) from 2010 - 2011.
He deployed to Afghanistan as the EOD officer for the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) in 2013 – 2014.
Murrell also served as the operations officer and executive officer for the Fort Campbell, Kentucky-based 184th Ordnance Battalion (EOD).
From June 2019 to June 2021, Murrell commanded the Fort Liberty, North Carolina-based 192nd Ordnance Battalion, the only U.S. Army EOD battalion with airborne units assigned.
The 242nd EOD Battalion is part of the 71st EOD Group while 184th EOD Battalion and 192nd EOD Battalion are assigned to the 52nd EOD Group. All three battalions and both groups are part of the 20th CBRNE Command.
Murrell, who previously served at the 20th CBRNE Command, said he welcomed the opportunity to return to the one-of-a-kind formation.
Murrell said the 20th CBRNE Command conducts essential missions in support of military operations around the world and domestic authorities across the nation.
“The 20th CBRNE Command is immensely important,” he said. “CBRNE will always be a threat.”
“Even if the enemy doesn’t use chemical or nuclear weapons, there will always be toxic industrial material and toxic industrial chemical sites that need to be secured and nuclear power plants that must be safe,” said Murrell.
“Senior commanders know this; therefore, they always request the 20th CBRNE Command to train with them,” said Murrell. “It leads to an increased OPTEMPO (operational tempo), but it’s satisfying knowing so many senior leaders respect and request the capabilities that only the 20th CBRNE Command can provide.”
Headquartered on Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, in Northeast Maryland’s science, technology and security corridor, the 20th CBRNE Command is home to 75 percent of the active-duty U.S. Army’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) specialists, as well as the 1st Area Medical Laboratory, CBRNE Analytical and Remediation Activity, Weapons of Mass Destruction Coordination Teams and Nuclear Disablement Teams (Infrastructure).
From 19 bases in 16 states, Soldiers and U.S. Army civilians from the 20th CBRNE Command confront and defeat the world’s most dangerous hazards in support of joint, interagency and multinational operations.
After defeating hundreds of thousands of Improvised Explosive Devices in Iraq and Afghanistan and supporting military operations around the world, the 20th CBRNE Command will mark its 20th anniversary on October 16, 2024.
“I want to build upon the legacy and reputation of the 20th CBRNE Command,” said Murrell. “We’ll soon hit 20 years as a command; I want to celebrate this by fostering our enduring priorities of people, readiness and modernization.”
“Every senior leader I have ever engaged with over a 22-year career has stressed how critical it is to develop leaders while caring for them as individuals and as part of families,” said Murrell. “Part of that care is ensuring they are properly equipped and trained to execute the crucial missions the country relies on them to accomplish.”
| Date Taken: | 08.01.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.01.2024 11:01 |
| Story ID: | 477537 |
| Location: | ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, MARYLAND, US |
| Hometown: | LAS VEGAS, NEW MEXICO, US |
| Hometown: | ST. CLOUD, MINNESOTA, US |
| Web Views: | 199 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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