US Navy destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) returned to Pearl Harbor on April 18, completing a three-month deployment to the Western Pacific with the Carl Vinson Strike Group.
During the deployment, the strike group conducted routine operations in the Indo-Pacific that helped maintain security and stability in the region.
After completing carrier strike group tasking, Michael Murphy carried out a joint Oceania Maritime Security Initiative (OMSI) patrol with the US Coast Guard.
“The crew demonstrated outstanding readiness, watchstanding and navigational skill,” said Rear Adm. John Fuller, the strike group commander. “I am very pleased with what we accomplished as a team.”
The strike group’s deployment marks the second time it successfully operated in the Indo-Pacific region under US 3rd Fleet’s command and control.
“I am proud to say that the crew performed superbly across all mission areas as well as being tremendous ambassadors afloat and ashore for the United States throughout our deployment,” said Cmdr. Kevin T. Louis, the ship’s commanding officer.
Michael Murphy’s crew of 350 sailors conducted training with the French navy and visited the Philippines and Guam. The ship also hosted officials from Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia for a tour and sent 35 crewmembers ashore to play softball with local residents.
Personnel on board the destroyer included an embarked detachment from the “Easyriders” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 37, which safely completed 400 flight hours.
Commissioned in 2012, Michael Murphy is the Navy’s 62nd Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer. The ship’s namesake, Lt. Michael P. Murphy, was a US Navy SEAL. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for heroic actions during Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005.