USS Michael Murphy Makes Its First Port Call

Arliegh Burke-class destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112) made its very first port of call Oct. 16, in Barbados while operating in U.S. 4th fleet area of operations.

Murphy is the U.S. Navy’s newest warship.

The ship was commissioned Oct. 6, in New York City, and is currently passing through the 4th Fleet area of operations on its way to its homeport in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

While in Barbados, Sailors will take part in public outreach events including land clearance and area beautification at the Boscobelle Primary School and delivering gifts to children at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Along with the public outreach project, the ship will host a media tour of the ship.

“We are very excited to make our first official overseas port visit in Barbados this week,” said Cmdr. Tom Shultz, USS Michael Murphy commanding officer. “This is a great opportunity for the crew to make new friends and experience the unique culture here. It is also a wonderful opportunity for the people of Barbados to meet the amazing young men and women of the U.S. Navy.”

The 510-foot Arleigh-Burke class destroyer is a multi-mission, guided-missile vessel designed to operate in multi-threat air, surface and sub-surface threat environments.

The new destroyer honors the late Lt. Michael P. Murphy, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions as leader of a Navy SEAL team in Afghanistan. Murphy was the first person to be awarded the medal for actions in Afghanistan, and the first member of the U.S. Navy to receive the award since the Vietnam War.

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet (COMUSNAVSO/C4F) support USSOUTHCOM joint and combined full-spectrum military operations by providing principally sea-based, forward presence to ensure freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain, to foster and sustain cooperative relationships with international partners and to fully exploit the sea as maneuver space in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions.

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Naval Today Staff,October 18, 2012; Image: US Navy