CMSAF Murray enjoys day at work with his children

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Julie Weckerlein
  • Air Force Print News
WASHINGTON (AFPN) --  Not many children can say they have shaken hands with a former astronaut or wandered the halls of the prestigious E-ring at the Pentagon as their parent conducts business with some of the Air Force's top leaders.

But not every child has the highest-ranking enlisted Airman for a father, either.

That distinction belongs to Elizabeth and Stephen Murray, who accompanied their father, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray, to work April 27 as part of the nationally observed Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.

“I was interested in seeing what he does because he spends so much time on his Blackberry or giving speeches,” said Elizabeth, who is a fourth-grader.

Parents across the nation have been taking their children to work one day out of the year since 1994, when the day was solely for daughters. Sons were later included in 2003, according to the Ms. Foundation for Women, which created the day as a way for children to observe what the adults in their lives do during the work day.

This year was the first time the Murray children accompanied their father and it happened in the nick of time. Chief Murray is scheduled to retire this summer.

“Every year, there was something happening that prevented me from being able to bring them in, whether it was a conference or I was traveling,” he said. “So, with this being the last year, I really wanted to make an effort to make this happen.”

For his son, Stephen, the day was an opportunity to see what life in the military would be like, since the high school sophomore plans such a life of his own after graduation.

“I plan on going into the Army,” he said. “It’s still the military, like what my dad does, but different, too.”

That insight into the military culture is important for children, Chief Murray said.

“Families are such an important part of the Air Force, yet they don’t often see what the Airman does during the day,” he said. “They just see the person in uniform come and go. By bringing the children into work, they’re able to see what their parent does and make that connection.”

The Murray children said that growing up in the military has been both interesting and sad at times. They’ve sacrificed, both spending time away from their father to having to relocate to different parts of the world.

“I didn’t like moving away from my friends,” said Elizabeth, “but in the end, we always ended up liking the place where we moved to.”

Out of their father’s 11 assignments, Japan was their favorite.

“We were able to star in some commercials and movies over there,” Stephen said. “And I have a lot of friends who still live there.”

Chief Murray credits the military lifestyle for developing his children into who they are today. His oldest son, who was not able to attend the visit, just graduated from Georgia Tech and works for Lockheed Martin. He believes his children's adaptability to their various environments and cultures is a trait they share with most military children.

“I think (the lifestyle) taught them how to be open to other people,” he said. “All of my children have learned other languages, experienced other cultures, have made many friends and have had a lot of good experiences because of their growing up in the Air Force.”

During their visit to the Pentagon, they met Dr. Ronald Sega, undersecretary of the Air Force, who worked for NASA as an astronaut in the early 1990s. The children also met Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley and other Air Force leaders as they followed their father around to his daily meetings. They learned about Arlington Cemetery and the Air Force Memorial, both of which are visible from their father’s office located on the outer-most ring of the Pentagon.

“They learned a lot about Air Force history and the enlisted corps,” Chief Murray said.

Despite seeing just how important their father is to the service, one thing can’t be changed -- a dad is still a dad, complete with little quirks only a son or daughter can appreciate.

Stephen said that while his dad does important work for the Air Force, there’s one thing he shouldn’t do.

“You shouldn’t ever let my dad dance,” he said.