Howling Mad Murdock

The A-Team is a group of ex-United States Army Special Forces who were wrongly convicted of a crime during the Vietnam War. They fled to Los Angeles, where, as fugitives, they work as soldiers of fortune, using their military training to fight oppression or injustice. Murdock, along with Hannibal Smith, B. A. Baracus, and Templeton "Faceman" Peck, make up the team. Although Murdock was not convicted of any crime, unlike the other three, he is still a full-fledged member of the team. Considered the best chopper pilot of the Vietnam War and former member of the elite United States Air Force Thunderbirds, Murdock is capable of flying just about any aircraft there is.

Murdock served two tours in Vietnam, has three unit citations and a Silver Star, and was wounded twice.[4] Murdock has extensive knowledge of various subjects and keeps up on current events, showing a genius-level aptitude. He speaks several languages, seems to possess a photographic memory, and is also a talented actor. Murdock worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on at least two occasions, once in 1969 and once in 1972.

Murdock is almost always seen in a baseball cap, a customized A-2 leather flight jacket with a picture of a tiger and the words "Da Nang 1970" on the back, a pair of khaki pants, and a pair of black Converse sneakers. He also often wears a t-shirt with a comical caption or a picture of cartoon characters like The Jetsons on it. Schultz said in a later interview that he was the one who devised the captions on the shirts, saying it was his "one constant contribution to the show."

Murdock is officially declared insane when the A-Team robs the Bank of Hanoi and is committed to a psychiatric hospital. He is stated as having paranoid anxiety, delusions, and intermittent memory loss. The symptoms of his "insanity" vary from episode to episode. Murdock routinely escapes the Veterans Administration (VA) Psychiatric Hospital to accompany the A-Team on their missions. Murdock is shown playing video games and watching cartoons. He often "channels" a certain character for the duration of a mission or becomes fixated on a particular subject to the point of obsession. He also frequently refers to his invisible dog, "Billy". Despite his purported mental status, Murdock is a competent member of the team.

Murdock, as a Captain, has the second highest military rank in the team, and occasionally takes over leadership. Murdock was permanently discharged from the mental institution in the fifth season, supposedly having regained his sanity, which is consistent with the fact he possibly only pretended to be insane as a cover. Following this event, instead of a different mental fixation every episode, Murdock took a different menial job each week, including stints working as a dog walker and a waiter.

Awards and decorations

The following are the medals and service awards fictionally worn by Captain Murdock in "A Nice Place to Visit".

Personal decorations Bronze Star Medal Air Medal Joint Service Commendation Medal Army Commendation Medal Unit awards Presidential Unit Citation Vietnam Presidential Unit Citation Campaign and service medals National Defense Service Medal Vietnam Service Medal Foreign awards Vietnam Campaign Medal

Other accoutrements Army Aviator Badge 1st Aviation Brigade Shoulder sleeve insignia

Sharlto Copley as H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock in the 2010 The A-Team film.

The A-Team film keeps many of Murdock's traits and characteristics intact, including his amazing piloting abilities, surprising knowledge of many topics, acting ability and fluency in other languages and accents. Unlike in the TV series, he is not a member of the A-Team from the beginning; he joins the other three during a mission when they need a pilot at the last minute, and he is a patient in a mental hospital released into Hannibal's custody. Like his TV counterpart, the film Murdock also leaves open the possibility that he's eccentric and simply pretending to be insane. Murdock's fixation on pop culture characters is also kept intact, specifically in one scene where he re-enacts Mel Gibson's portrayal of William Wallace in the movie Braveheart. In a post-credits scene, Murdock is shown receiving electroshock therapy, while two doctors (one portrayed by Dwight Shultz, the original Murdock) look on.

Awards and decorations

The following are the medals and service awards fictionally worn by Captain Murdock in the 2010 movie adaptation.

Personal decorations Distinguished Flying Cross Bronze Star Medal with one oak leaf cluster Air Medal Army Commendation Medal Army Achievement Medal Unit awards Presidential Unit Citation Joint Meritorious Unit Award Valorous Unit Award Service Awards Army Good Conduct Medal Campaign and service medals National Defense Service Medal Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two bronze service stars Iraq Campaign Medal with two bronze service stars Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Armed Forces Service Medal Service and training awards Army Service Ribbon Overseas Service Ribbon

Other accoutrements Combat Infantryman Badge Army Aviator Badge Parachutist Badge Air Assault Badge United States Army Special Forces Shoulder sleeve insignia Special Forces tab Ranger tab

• In an episode of Robot Chicken, a bar owner's insurance could only cover the B-Team and Murdock is played by a clearly insane and suicidal actor tied in a straitjacket. In the end of the episode, he is shown to have hanged himself.
• Dwight Schultz reprises Murdock in a voice acting role for the video game Lego Dimensions in 2016. He is also playable when purchasing the "A-Team Fun Pack".