Communications group under new leadership

  • Published
  • By Ryan Hansen
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  The 55th Communications Group held an assumption of command ceremony June 30 at the Bennie Davis Maintenance Facility at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.

U.S. Air Force Col. Sean Murphy assumed command from U.S. Air Force Col. Jeffrey Granger, who relinquished command on June 8.

"This is a huge day for the 55th Wing and most importantly, for the 55th Communications Group," said U.S. Air Force Col. Marty Reynolds, 55th Wing commander, who presided over the ceremony.

"This incredible group is in great hands as we welcome Colonel Murphy to this outstanding team," he said. "Sean is an exceptional leader, visionary and comm expert, and he is absolutely the right commander at the right time to lead the 55th Communications Group."

Murphy comes to the 55th CG from Hawaii where he served as the C4 Strategy, Integration, Resources and Requirements Division chief in the J6 directorate at United States Pacific Command.

"I can't tell you how excited and humbled my family and I are ... to be here," he said. "(I thank) Colonel Reynolds not only for officiating today's ceremony, but for entrusting me with the guidon of the amazing 55th Communications Group."

The 55th CG's mission is to provide superior command, control, communications, and computers and knowledge management services for the 55th Wing, U.S. Strategic Command, the 557th Weather Wing, as well as to more than 50 partner units on Team Offutt.

As its new commander, Murphy will lead more than 600 military, defense civilian, and contractor personnel operating and maintaining arguably the Air Force's most diverse array of cyber systems. This includes multiple military satellite communications platforms, secure and non-secure voice, data and radio frequency networks, one-of-a-kind air traffic control and landing systems, hundreds of miles of fiber optic and copper cabling, as well as providing base-wide client systems, information assurance and knowledge operations services.

"For the past six months since finding out that I was selected to come to the 55th Communications Group, I have heard over and over again about the amazing group I was coming to, and honesty, it has been a bit daunting," Murphy said. "But the important fact that these things tell me is that Audrey and I are coming to an amazing team that doesn't need someone to come in and change everything around, but rather, someone to come in and work hard to make an already great group even better."

Granger left the 55th CG for Qatar where he is now serving as the A6 director for U.S. Air Forces Central.

"While he is not here today to be recognized, it is worth noting some of the accomplishments this group of dedicated airmen achieved under (Granger's) command," Reynolds said.

In 2014, the CG earned the Air Combat Command's best large and small communications unit awards, received an "outstanding" rating for network security from a Defense Information Systems Agency's Command Cyber Readiness Inspection and ensured the delivery of over 140,000 nuclear command, control and force direction messages to 252 world-wide launch control centers and command posts among other things.

"These are simply incredible feats," Reynolds noted. "(Colonel  Murphy) is getting an amazing group and I look forward to seeing the heights these Airmen will reach under (his) command."

Before providing the CG with his ceremonial first salute as commander, Murphy thanked everyone for attending as well as offered a special thanks to those who helped organize the ceremony.

"Thank you again for participating in this day with my family and I," he said. "We are honored to join your team, both here on Offutt and in the community."