Murphy installed as SAME Nashville Post president

Photo By Mark Rankin | The Nashville Post of the Society of American Military Engineers installed the commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District as its new president today during an installation ceremony in the Tennessee Engineering Center at the Adventure Science Center.  

NASHVILLE, UNITED STATES

12.17.2015

Story by Mark Rankin 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Nashville Post of the Society of American Military Engineers installed the commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District as its new president today during an installation ceremony in the Tennessee Engineering Center at the Adventure Science Center.

Lt. Col. Stephen F. Murphy, Nashville District commander, accepted the position and replaces outgoing President Mark Luskin, an engineer with Patriot Engineering and Environmental in Nashville, Tenn.

“I’m excited for this opportunity to lead the Nashville SAME post six months after arriving at the district and look forward to serving with you in 2016 and 2017,” said Murphy.

Murphy said he understands the collaboration of SAME between the military and the privates sector and looks forward to enhancing relationships with various college Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) units through Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. He commended the joint efforts with the Ft. Campbell and Oak Ridge posts and thanked the members of the board, and thanked post members for volunteering and for their support.

“Thank you very much,” Murphy said about his installation as president of the Nashville Post. “I look forward to encouraging more participation, especially by the Nashville District engineers, and working on this year’s plans events.”

Luskin said in relinquishing his gavel and presidency of the post that he was proud to serve as president, and looks forward to more work in the Nashville Post.

“It is my privilege to turn the reins over to this tremendous leader,” Luskin said. “We are looking for another great year and I’m excited to have Lieutenant Colonel Murphy as our president.”

Also during the meeting, Christopher Green, vice president from the SAME Nashville Post, made several donations on behalf of the post. Crissie Carpenter from the “Folds of Honor” Foundation accepted a check for $15,000; Daryl Mackin from “A Soldier’s Child Foundation” also received $15,000.

The “Folds of Honor Foundation” benefits and provides educational support to spouses and children of Fallen and wounded soldiers. In 2011 Carpenter’s husband, U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Andrew Carpenter, was killed while deployed. She was pregnant with their son.

“I am honored to be here and thank you very much because this has been a journey but through foundations like this it means the world to receive help,” said Carpenter.

The inspiration for “A Soldiers Child Foundation” came while Mackin, founder and executive director, prepared for his own 6-year-old son’s surprise birthday party. He said, like most parents, he was easily caught up in all of the “chores” required to pull off the birthday celebration. The mission of the organization is to serve the children of military personnel who gave their lives defending the United States of America.

“There are many children like Christian that will never receive another birthday gift from their father/mother because they gave their life while defending our freedoms,” said Mackin. “I believe it is our core duty as American citizens to give back to the children.”

The Nashville SAME Post wanted to support this organization because the program supports the military and provides services to military families around the world. For more information about Operation Home Front, go to http://www.operationhomefront.net.

SAME is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, and is the premier professional military engineering association in the United States. It unites architecture, engineering, construction, facility management, and environmental entities and individuals in the public and private sectors.

The organization provides its 27,000-plus members opportunities for training, education, and professional development through offerings of conferences, workshops, networking events, and publications.

Members include recent service academy graduates and retired flag officers, project managers and corporate executives, DOD civilians, private-sector experts and many others.

For more information about the SAME Nashville Post, go to http://posts.same.org/nashville/index.htm or e-mail [e-mail]. The next general meeting is at noon Jan. 20, 2016 in the Tennessee Engineering Center at the Adventure Science Center in Nashville, Tenn.

• Date Taken: 12.17.2015
• Date Posted: 12.18.2015 22:58
• Story ID: 184934
• Location: NASHVILLE, US