uniform helped them tremendously as public servants, instilling in them
essential traits of leadership and giving them a unique perspective regard-
ing the needs of the country. a73 Military Offi cer talked with four legislators
regarding their tie to the military and how it has infl uenced their public
service. Regardless of party affi liation, all are extremely grateful for the in-
sight their military affi liation has provided them as lawmakers.
Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.) and do it,” he recalls. “That’s what we did, and I won.”
Murphy serves the 8th District of Pennsylvania. He is During his fi rst two years in Congress, Murphy fought
a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. for passage of the largest increase in VA funding in
Murphy joined the Army ROTC program at King’s Col- 77 years, as well as for a new GI Bill of Rights. For his
lege, Pa., in 1993 and was commissioned a second lieuten- district, he facilitated the construction of a national
ant in 1996. He went on veterans’ cemetery.
to become a professor at When Murphy fi rst ran for Congress, he vowed not to
the U.S. Military Acad- approve a congressional pay increase until Congress passed
emy, West Point, N.Y.; a new national minimum wage. When the higher minimum
airborne and air assault wage was approved, he still voted against a congressional
qualifi ed; and a JAG pay raise. The increase was approved anyway, so Murphy
Corps attorney. In 2002, decided to give the extra money to charity. “My wife wasn’t
he was deployed to Bos- happy about that, because we both have school loans to pay
nia, and from 2003-04, off,” Murphy says. “But
he was a paratrooper it was the right thing to
with the 82nd Airborne do. As a congressman,
Division in Baghdad, you need to show your
Iraq. Murphy earned the constituents that you
Bronze Star for his ser- lead by example.”
vice, and his unit earned the Presidential Unit Citation.
“My parents taught me about the honor and integrity Sen. Lindsey
of serving your community and your country,” Murphy Graham (R-S.C.)
notes. “My father was a police offi cer in Philadelphia for Graham dreamed of
22 years after spending three years in the Navy. When becoming a fi ghter
I learned about the opportunity to serve my country as pilot when he joined
an offi cer via ROTC, I jumped at the chance, and I’m the Air Force ROTC at
thrilled that I did that. Military service gives you per- the University of South
spective and challenges you to become a better person.” Carolina. Hearing problems kept him out of the cockpit, so
Murphy decided to enter politics because he heard he became a military lawyer. Graham’s fi rst assignment was
a call to “stand up and fi ght for my battle buddies down at Shaw AFB, S.C., where he worked as defense counsel.
in Washington.” He won his fi rst race in 2006 by 0.6 Graham then was sent to Rhein-Main air base in Germany,
percent of the vote and was reelected in 2008 by 15 where he served as a military prosecutor from 1984-88.
percent. The most diffi cult part of running for offi ce, After leaving the Air Force in 1989, Graham joined the
he says, was asking people for money. “But at the end South Carolina Air National Guard. His unit was called to
of the day, my military training said, if I truly wanted to active duty during the fi rst Gulf War, and he served state-
change the direction of our country, if I wanted to fi ght side at McEntire ANGB preparing guardmembers for de-
for my fellow soldiers, then I had to put my ego aside ployment and providing legal assistance to their families.
6 4 M I L I T A R Y O F F I C E R M AY 2 0 0 9
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