Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

A new pool at Naval Station Newport will be dedicated on Thursday to a 2001 graduate of Navy Officer Candidate School who was killed in action while conducting counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan in 2005.

Construction of the $4.5-million pool, housed in a 11,280-square-foot complex, began in March 2008. It will be used for combat and survival training, including basic swim instruction and man-overboard exercises. The pool is located next to Callahan Hall and was built by Consigli Construction of Milford, Mass. The pool that has served the base since 1945 will no longer be used for training.

The pool will be named in honor of Lt. Michael P. Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y. His four-man Navy Seal team was covertly conducting reconnaissance east of Asadbad, in Kumar Province, when discovered by local nationals. The team soon found itself surrounded and under attack by about 40 fighters allied with the Taliban.

Under heavy fire, Murphy left his cover in order to establish radio contact to broadcast a call for support. At one point, he was shot in the back and dropped the transmitter. He picked it back up, completed the call and then rejoined his team where they had found cover and were trying to repel the enemy forces.

A helicopter arrived to rescue the SEALs. But a rocket-prolled grenade hit it, killing all 16 men aboard it. Three of the SEALs, including Murphy, died in the battle.

Murply was posthumously awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor by President Bush in 2007.

 Tags  Afghanistan Lt. Michael P. Murphy Naval Station Newport Newport

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