Former Congressman Murphy Nominated Undersecretary For Army

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Obama has announced plans to name former Pennsylvania congressman Patrick Murphy as an undersecretary for the Army in the Department of Defense.

The nomination and others announced Wednesday will require confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

Murphy, a Democrat, represented the 8th District of Pennsylvania in the U.S. House from 2007 to 2011. He served in Iraq as a paratrooper from 2003 to 2004 and was the first Iraq war veteran elected to Congress.

He was the sponsor of legislation that repealed the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that barred gays from serving openly in the military forces.

He also served five years in the Army's Judge Advocate General Corps and is now a partner in a Philadelphia law firm and a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.

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