Army ROTC alumna is first female nurse to graduate from Ranger school

Molly Murphy smiles as her dad, Dan Murphy, pins on her jump wings after finishing Airborne training through an ROTC program. Murphy was one of the few Husker ROTC cadets in recent years to earn an invitation to attend the parachute training.

Courtesy

Molly Murphy smiles as her dad, Dan Murphy, pins on her jump wings after finishing Airborne training through an ROTC program. Murphy, now a captain in the U.S. Army, was one of the few Husker ROTC cadets to earn an invitation to attend the parachute training program. She recently became the first female nurse to complete the U.S. Army's rigorous Ranger School..

Nebraska alumna Molly Murphy is making history as the first female nurse to complete the U.S. Army’s elite Ranger Course.

The 2019 pre-med graduate from Lexington, Nebraska, is now a captain in the U.S. Army and works as a pediatric intensive care unit nurse at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland. She graduated from Ranger School on July 19 and her story was recently featured by CNN.

Murphy is a fourth-generation military recruit who grew up inspired by her family’s rich legacy of service. Her great grandfather, Monte Kiffin Sr., served as company commander of the Lexington National Guard Unit in the 1920s, while her grandfather, “Big” Jim Murphy, was a Husker football captain and military leader.

She is also a third-generation Husker and joined her grandmother and mom as Delta Gamma sorority sisters.

“Being a Husker and serving in the military are traditions in my family,” Murphy said. “I’m a big believer in keeping our legacy going. And, I like the idea of serving my country and helping as much as I can.”

The Murphy-Kiffin family's military legacy spans four generations. Pictured with Molly Murphy (second from left) is (from left), her father, Dan Murphy; grandfather, Jim Murphy Sr.; uncle, Jim Murphy Jr.; and brother, Matt Murphy.

On campus, Murphy excelled in the UNL Army ROTC program. Her training included working with the Chilean army, hands-on experience in Brooks Army Medical Center’s top trauma units, and completion of Airborne school.

Before graduating, Murphy’s military goals included completing ICU training, working in a combat support hospital and, ultimately, serving as a White House nurse.

“You have to be the best of the best even to consider (being a White House nurse),” Murphy said. “I figured, with my family, I need to set the bar high.”