Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast or not, you might have heard about “The Murph Challenge.” Every Memorial Day, veterans, military members, and fitness nuts around the country pledge to take the challenge. It not only helps remember the courage and sacrifice of Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy, but also helps send military-connected individuals to college through the Lt. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation.
Lt. Michael P. Murphy Leads SEAL Mission in Afghanistan
To call the Murph a “grueling” workout would be an understatement, but it was something he did regularly, and it helped him fight on in the mountains of Afghanistan against incredible odds. Without his valiant physical and mental efforts that day, his entire team might have vanished without a trace.
In 2005, the U.S. launched Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan’s Kunar Province. The goal was to disrupt the activity of the Taliban and other anti-Coalition militias operating in the areas west of Asadabad. The local anti-Coalition fighters were led by Ahmad Shah, who was in charge of a relatively small band and based his operations on a mountain called Sawtalo Sar near Asadabad. His posts were said to be just outside of a village on the high slopes of the mountain. Once the SEAL reconnaissance team confirmed that Shah was at these buildings, they would call in a SEAL strike team and Marines to capture or kill Shah.
Lt. Michael P. Murphy’s Team Is Compromised and Under Fire
Operation Red Wings was, of course, much bigger than just that initial capture of an insurgent leader, but that was the SEALs’ mission when a four-man team fast-roped into the area near the Sawtalo Sar. Murphy led Petty Officer Second Class Danny Dietz, Petty Officer Second Class Matthew G. Axelson, and Hospital Corpsman Second Class Marcus Luttrell into the area 1.5 miles away from their first target. They then moved into an overwatch position.
And that’s where everything went sideways.
Lt. Michael P. Murphy Sacrifices for His Team
Some goat herders happened to stumble upon the SEALs’ hideout spot. They were detained but when Murphy determined they weren’t enemy combatants and actually were goat herders and thus not legitimate targets, he set them free in accordance with the laws of armed conflict. Knowing full well the herdsmen would report the SEALs to their local militia leaders, likely Shah himself, the Americans decided to retreat. They didn’t make it far enough, fast enough, because it wasn’t long before Afghan militia fighters were on them with small arms, machine guns, mortars, and RPGs. The heavy, intense enemy fire forced the SEALs into a gulch on the far side of the mountain, making communication nearly impossible.
Outnumbered 10-to-1, Murphy and the SEALs did not back down, and all of them were eventually wounded over the course of the two-hour fight. When Dietz, the communications operator, was shot in the hand, Murphy picked up the radio and satellite phone, trying desperately to connect with Coalition forces. When he realized the terrain was the problem, he fought his way to an open area devoid of cover or concealment amid a fierce firefight so he could give his location and ask for help from the Quick Reaction Force at Bagram Air Base.
Read About Other Profiles in Courage
If you enjoyed learning about Lt. Michael P. Murphy, we invite you to read about other profiles in courage on our blog. You will also find military book reviews, veterans’ service reflections, famous military units and more on the TogetherWeServed.com blog. If you are a veteran, find your military buddies, view historic boot camp photos, build a printable military service plaque, and more on TogetherWeServed.com today.
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