MCLEAN, Va., Nov. 3, 2010 – SPADAC is proud to announce that Kevin Stofan, a SPADAC Human Terrain Analyst working at CENTCOM, was named the 2010 recipient of the Lt. Michael P. Murphy Award in Geospatial Intelligence. This award was created in honor of the distinguished Penn State alumnus Lt. Michael P. Murphy to recognize achievement by a Penn State University graduate student who is serving or has served in the U.S. Armed Forces or with the U.S. Intelligence community and demonstrated exceptional contributions to the discipline.
"I am truly grateful and humbled to receive this award honoring Lt. Michael P. Murphy. I would like to thank Dr. Todd Bacastow, Pennsylvania State University, USGIF, and SPADAC for sponsoring the award in memory of a true American hero." - Kevin Stofan
Michael P. Murphy (May 7, 1976 – June 28, 2005) was a United States Navy SEAL posthumously awarded the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor (MOH), for his actions during the War in Afghanistan. He was the first person to be awarded the medal for actions in Afghanistan and the first member of the U.S. Navy to receive the award since the Vietnam War. Michael Murphy was born and raised in Patchogue, N.Y and after graduating from high school he attended Penn State, graduating with honors and dual degrees in political science and psychology. After college he accepted a commission in the United States Navy and became a United States Navy SEAL in July 2002. As a Navy SEAL, Lt. Murphy served his country on missions in Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, Djibouti, and Afghanistan.
Lt. Murphy was killed by enemy forces during a reconnaissance mission in the Kunar Province of Afghanistan on June 28, 2005. He was leading a four-man team tasked with finding a key Taliban leader in the mountainous terrain near Asadabad when they came under fire from a much larger enemy force. Knowingly exposing himself to enemy fire, Lt. Murphy left his position of cover to get a clear signal in order to communicate with headquarters. While continuing to be fired upon, he calmly provided his unit’s location and the size of the enemy force while requesting immediate support for his team. During the call, Lt. Murphy was shot in the back causing him to drop the transmitter. He retrieved the satellite phone to finish relaying the location of his men and completed the call by simply saying “Thank you.” Severely injured, Lt. Murphy returned to the cover position with his men and continued fighting until finally succumbing to his wounds.
Eyewitness accounts of the events surrounding Lt. Murphy’s MOH and Operation Redwings are a gripping reminder of how the lack of effective intelligence about the physical and human geography can determine mission success and life or death. The location and qualities of the physical and human terrain make the province an area for smuggling and insurgent movement between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The region’s complex landscape of sheer valley walls and jagged peaks rising 14,000 feet, subarctic climate, extreme isolation, extensive cave networks, and proximity to the Pakistani North-West Frontier Province provide natural advantages to militant groups and significantly hinders the use of indirect fire support, aerial reinforcement, and radio/satellite phone communications.
Kevin Stofan joined SPADAC in August 2010 with over ten years of experience as a Geographer, Geospatial Analyst, and GIS Developer. His work has included private, state, and federal government agencies which included environmental, business, and defense applications. Mr. Stofan also served as an Engineer Officer in the Army and deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2007 as an Infantry Platoon Leader where he lead a joint force of over 90 Afghan, Romanian, and US Soldiers conducting counterinsurgency operations in Zabul Province, Afghanistan. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and is currently completing his MGIS degree at The Pennsylvania State University where he also received his Graduate Certificate in Geospatial Intelligence.
This award was made possible by the gracious gifts of SPADAC, the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation, and Dr. and Mrs. Todd S. Bacastow.
Lt. Michael P. Murphy Award in Geospatial Intelligence award ceremony
Nov. 3, 2010 at the GEOINT 2010 Symposium in New Orleans, LA
From left: Dr. Alan Scaroni (Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Research, Penn State),
Dr. Todd S. Bacastow (Professor of Practice for Geospatial Intelligence, Penn State)
Kevin Stofan (Award Recipient, SPADAC), Mark Dumas (CEO, SPADAC), Keith Masback (President, USGIF)