Wikipedia

USS Michael Murphy

For ships with a similar name, see USS Murphy.

USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112) is the 62nd ship of the Arleigh Burke class of guided missile destroyers in the United States Navy. She is named for Medal of Honor recipient Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy (1976–2005). Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan in June 2005. He was the first sailor awarded the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War. The ship's name was announced by Secretary of the Navy, Donald C. Winter on 7 May 2008. The ship was christened on 7 May 2011, Murphy's birthday,[5] by her sponsor Maureen Murphy, Michael Murphy's mother.[3][4][7][8] The ship is part of Destroyer Squadron 31 of Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific.[9]

USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112)
USS Michael Murphy at Pearl Harbor in March 2013
History
United States
NameMichael Murphy
NamesakeMichael P. Murphy[3]
Awarded13 September 2002[1]
BuilderBath Iron Works[1]
Laid down18 June 2010[3]
Launched8 May 2011[1]
Sponsored byMaureen Murphy[4]
Christened7 May 2011[5]
Commissioned6 October 2012[2]
HomeportPearl Harbor
Identification
MottoLead the Fight
Honors and
awards		See Awards
Statusin active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeArleigh Burke-class destroyer
Displacement9,200 tons[1]
Length510 ft (160 m)[1]
Beam66 ft (20 m)[1]
Draft33 ft (10 m)[1]
Propulsion4 × General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines, 2 shafts, 100,000 shp (75 MW)
Speed35+ knots[4]
Complement323 Sailors (23 officers and 300 enlisted)[6]
Armament
Aircraft carried2 × MH-60R Seahawk helicopters

Michael Murphy was intended to be the last ship of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers but, following the cancellation of the Zumwalt-class destroyer program after the completion of the first three vessels, the Navy continued construction on the Arleigh Burke class.[10]

Construction and commissioning edit

 
Maureen Murphy, left, and Edwin Bard inscribe the signatures of Michael Murphy's family on an iron plate during a dedication ceremony.

Her contract was awarded on 13 September 2002 to the Bath Iron Works and the first cut of steel was made by Vice Admiral John Morgan, the first commanding officer of lead ship of the class, Arleigh Burke.[11] The ship's keel was laid down on 18 June 2010, and during the event, Maureen Murphy and Edwin Bard inscribed the signatures of Murphy's family on an iron plate during a dedication cerrmony for Michael Murphy. The plate was affixed to the ship's hull during construction. After her christening, the destroyer was moved to dry dock for several months in order to finalize construction.[5] On 1 October 2012 the destroyer arrived in New York for her commissioning, which occurred on 6 October.[12]

Service history edit

2012 edit

On 16 October 2012 Michael Murphy arrived in Barbados for her first international port of call. Led by Ambassador Larry L. Palmer, dozens of sailors ventured out into the community to help the children of Barbados at the Boscobelle Primary School and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The sailors presented stuffed animals to the children at the hospital. At the primary school, the crew members helped to beautify the school grounds by planting trees, as well as clearing away brush and debris. The students of the primary school also had stuffed animals donated to them by the sailors.[13][14] On 21 November, Michael Murphy arrived at her home port of Naval Station Pearl Harbor, part of Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam.[15][16]

2013 edit

On 15 February 2013 Michael Murphy held her first family day cruise.[17] On 23 May 2013 Michael Murphy held her first change of command ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam.[18]

2014 edit

On 4 February 2014 Michael Murphy participated with aviation forces from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps in joint training exercise Koa Kai. Participating units conducted integrated flight operations, anti-surface and anti-submarine training.[19] On 28 February, the Royal Canadian Navy ship HMCS Protecteur suffered a fire and breakdown approximately 340 nautical miles (630 km) northeast of Pearl Harbor that left the ship stranded without power, lighting or water. Michael Murphy, already underway, was immediately dispatched to assist in towing and recovery efforts. Michael Murphy received 17 family members of the crew and two civilian contractors from Protecteur; however, due to adverse weather conditions, Michael Murphy's attempts to take her under tow were unsuccessful. USS Chosin, a Ticonderoga-class cruiser, arrived two days later, connected to and towed the stricken ship until the towing cable broke.[20] Finally, USNS Sioux, a Powhatan-class fleet ocean tug, arrived on 2 March to assume the towing duties and brought Protecteur into Naval Station Pearl Harbor on 6 March.[21][22][23][24]

On 7 July 2014 Michael Murphy departed Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam to participate in the at-sea phase of the multinational exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC). On 26 June, RIMPAC 2014 commenced and Michael Murphy participated in all 36 days, including the closing reception on 1 August.[25] On 20 October 2014, Michael Murphy departed on her first deployment to the Western Pacific with the United States Seventh Fleet.[26]

2015 edit

On 26 May 2015, Michael Murphy was awarded with a Canadian Forces' Unit Commendation in recognition of the service she provided to the stranded Canadian naval vessel HMCS Protecteur after she had caught fire at sea.[27]

2017 edit

 
The Fiji Military Forces Band performs as the USS Michael Murphy docks in Suva, Fiji.

In January 2017, Michael Murphy, along with sister Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer and Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Lake Champlain, accompanied Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson in a deployment to the western Pacific. In April of that year, the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group (CSG) cancelled a scheduled port call in Australia in response to increasing tensions between North Korea (DPRK) and the United States over the DPRK's nuclear weapons program.[citation needed]

2018 edit

Michael Murphy participated in KAKADU 2018, a multinational exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Navy. During the sea phase of the exercise, forces from twenty-seven countries will train together in several complex warfighting scenarios, including an air defense exercise, gunnery exercise, search and rescue training, underway replenishment approaches, anti-submarine warfare vulnerability training, and divisional tactics.[28]

2019 edit

Michael Murphy deployed to the U.S. Fourth Fleet area of operations, following her participation in exercises UNITAS LX and Teamwork South 2019 in Valparaiso, Chile, from 24 June to 3 July.[citation needed]

Awards edit

Gallery edit

  •  
    Photo of LT Michael Murphy in a commemoration poster released by the Navy
  •  
    Michael Murphy returning to Pearl Harbor, 29 March 2013
  •  
    Michael Murphy seen at night in Pearl Harbor, 18 December 2012
  •  
    Michael Murphy and USS Gridley (DDG-101) on 28 January 2013

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Michael Murphy". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  2. ^ "USS Michael Murphy DDG-112 Commissioning Committee". Archived from the original on 21 March 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  3. ^ a b c "Keel for Future USS Michael Murphy Authenticated". Navy News Service. 18 June 2010. Archived from the original on 30 October 2011. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
  4. ^ a b c O'Brien, Kevin S. (7 May 2008). "SECNAV Names New Guided-Missile Destroyer USS Michael Murphy". Navy News Service. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
  5. ^ a b c Candiotti, Susan; Levitt, Ross (7 May 2011). "Navy ship dedicated to fallen SEAL". CNN. Archived from the original on 9 May 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  6. ^ Pike, John. "DDG 112 Michael Murphy". globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  7. ^ "Fallen Navy SEAL honored with warship". Associated Press. 7 May 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  8. ^ Sharp, David (8 May 2011). "Warship Built In Maine Bears Name Of Navy SEAL". Norfolk Virginian-Pilot. Associated Press.
  9. ^ "Naval Surface Force U.S. Pacific Fleet Administrative Organization Chart" (PDF). Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. 5 July 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  10. ^ "Arleigh Burke Class (Aegis) Destroyer – Naval Technology". naval-technology.com. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  11. ^ "BIW News" (PDF). Bath Iron Works. September 2007. p. 3. Retrieved 18 June 2010.[permanent dead link]
  12. ^ Pappalardo, Joe (3 October 2012). "USS Michael Murphy: On Board the Navy's Newest Warship". Popular Mechanics. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  13. ^ "USS Michael Murphy visits Barbados: Sailors Engage with Local Community". usembassy.gov. Archived from the original on 3 October 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  14. ^ This story was written U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet Public Affairs. "USS Michael Murphy Makes First Port Call During Maiden Voyage". navy.mil. Archived from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ "USS Michael Murphy, Navyʼs newest destroyer, arrives at joint base". hookelenews.com. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  16. ^ Quinlan, Diana N.; Barker, Daniel. "USS Michael Murphy, Navy's Newest Destroyer Arrives in Pearl Harbor". navy.mil. Archived from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  17. ^ "USS Michael Murphy holds its first family day cruise". navy.mil. Archived from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  18. ^ Story and photo MC2 Nardel Gervacio. "USS Michael Murphy holds first change of command". navy.mil. Archived from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  19. ^ Staff Sgt. William Sallette (4 February 2014). "Army aviators become 'Sea Warriors'". army.mil. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  20. ^ "Line towing fire-damaged HMCS Protecteur to Hawaii breaks". cbc.ca. 2 March 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  21. ^ "Line towing fire-damaged HMCS Protecteur to Hawaii breaks". cbc.ca. 2 March 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  22. ^ This story was written Staff Sgt. Christopher Hubenthal and U.S. 3rd Fleet Public Affairs. "HMCS Protecteur, Crew Arrive Safely to Pearl Harbor". navy.mil. Archived from the original on 15 September 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  23. ^ "USS Michael Murphy returns with civilians after ship fire". KHON2. Archived from the original on 23 December 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  24. ^ "Stranded HMCS Protecteur due in Pearl Harbor by mid-week". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  25. ^ "RIMPAC 2014: World's Largest Maritime Exercises (PHOTOS)". The Huffington Post. 25 July 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  26. ^ "USS Michael Murphy departs on maiden deployment". hookelenews.com. Archived from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  27. ^ Pugliese, David (3 June 2015). "Canadian Forces thanks crew of USS Michael Murphy for coming to the aid of HMCS Protecteur". Defence Watch. Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  28. ^ "USS Michael Murphy joins 27-nation naval exercise Down Under".
  29. ^ "USS Michael Murphy Receives United States Coast Guard Commendation".
  30. ^ "Canadian Forces thanks crew of USS Michael Murphy for coming to the aid of HMCS Protecteur".

External links edit

 
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