Warrior of the Week: Staff Sgt. Mark Murray

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Luis Loza Gutierrez
  • 319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  

Rank and name: Staff Sgt. Mark Murray

Unit: 372nd Training Squadron, Detachment 27

Duty title: RQ-4 Tactical Field Terminal Instructor

Time in service: 5 years, 4 months

Time on station: 10 months

Hometown: Pittsburgh

Why is serving in the Air Force important to you?
Serving in the Air Force is important to me because it gives me not only a sense of focus and accomplishment, but it also allows me to see that there are things in this world that are bigger than any of us individually. It allows me to contribute my efforts and talents to those things no matter how small of a scale they may be on.

What moment or accomplishment as a Warrior of the North are you most proud of and why?
I have not been a Warrior of the North for very long, so my proudest moment up to this point would be being selected as a Warrior of the Week by my leadership. It just goes to show that hard work does pay off.

What is your favorite part of your job and why is it your favorite part?
My favorite part about being an instructor is being able to interact with the students in a classroom setting. Watching the students progress with tasks and gain knowledge is very rewarding. My presence in the classroom is helping others' career progress.

Who inspires you and why?
The people who inspire me are my parents [Mark H. Murray Sr. and Deborah L. Murray]. They are very hardworking people, and would expect nothing less than that from their children. From them I have developed the work ethic I have today and the will to be successful in life.

What's the first thing that made you think Grand Forks Air Force Base was a cool place other than the temperature or weather?
The presentation of the base to me was the very first thing that caught my eye. It has the feel of a nice, small town.