Captain Patrick Murphy of Pennsylvania
- District: Pennsylvania, 8th District
- Party: Democrat
- Military service: Army – Iraq War Veteran
Patrick Murphy is a former Captain in the US Army and Iraq war veteran running for Congress to help change the direction of our country. After graduating from Kings College and the ROTC program, Patrick Murphy received his law degree from Weidner University in Harrisburg and later graduated from the Army JAG program. Murphy then taught Constitutional Law at West Point to the next generation of military leaders. In his 11-year tenure in the United States Army, Patrick deployed to Bosnia and did a tour in Iraq, where he earned the Bronze Star for his bravery during combat missions in Iraq. In Iraq, Murphy led offensive operations, initiated reconstruction efforts within the justice system, trained the new Iraqi Civil Defense Corps on the rules of engagement and as an Army attorney was instrumental in the prosecution of Sheik Moyad, a radical lieutenant of Muqtada Sadr.
Murphy says he saw firsthand in Iraq the lack of proper training, equipment and armor that his forces received, as well as the benefits they were denied upon their return. It was those experiences that confirmed his belief that our country is headed down a wrong path. “I walked in my own combat boots and saw with my own eyes in Iraq that we need a change of direction in this country.” In a bold move, that many in his party consider risky, Murphy has called for a 12-month phased withdrawal from Iraq. Murphy says it is the military veterans who are running for Congress who have changed the debate about the war in Iraq, and the Democratic Party has been emboldened to take their lead.
