A Watkins Glen native will return home this weekend in dramatic fashion when a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter roars over Watkins Glen International ahead of Sunday’s NASCAR race.
Commander Kevin Murphy, a 2003 graduate of Watkins Glen High School and current Executive Officer at U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Detroit, is scheduled to serve as one of two pilots participating in the ceremonial fly-over before the Go Bowling at The Glen race. Murphy will fly alongside another pilot and a flight mechanic aboard a Coast Guard helicopter assigned to the mission.
Murphy’s father, Jim Murphy, a retired teacher from Watkins Glen, said his son will depart from Detroit for the fly-over before continuing on to Ithaca. After landing, Murphy plans to return to the racetrack by land to watch the NASCAR race with family and friends.
The appearance marks a homecoming of sorts for the decorated Coast Guard officer, who grew up in Watkins Glen before beginning a military career that has taken him from the Great Lakes to the Pentagon.
According to a Coast Guard biography, Murphy currently oversees 120 personnel and five MH-65 helicopters at Air Station Detroit, which provides year-round operational coverage across the Great Lakes region. The station also supports homeland defense missions and presidential security operations under the direction of NORAD.
Before taking his current role, Murphy served on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon, where he worked on homeland defense, maritime security and Arctic policy matters alongside senior military and national security leaders.
A graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy, Murphy earned his commission in 2007 and later became a Coast Guard aviator after completing Naval Flight Training in Pensacola. His career assignments have included service in Florida, Alabama, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C.
Murphy also holds advanced degrees from the U.S. Naval War College and Spring Hill College. He lives outside Detroit with his wife, Dr. Allyson Murphy, and their four children.
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