The Navy will commission the newest guided-missile
destroyer, Michael Murphy (DDG 112), Oct. 6, during a 10 a.m. EDT
ceremony at Pier 88 in Manhattan, N.Y.
The newest destroyer honors Navy SEAL (Sea, Air, Land) Lt.
Michael P. Murphy, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for
his heroic actions during Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan June 28,
2005.
Murphy led a four-man team tasked with finding a key
Taliban leader in the mountainous terrain near Asadabad, Afghanistan,
when they came under fire from a much larger enemy force with superior
tactical position. Mortally wounded while exposing himself to enemy
fire, Murphy knowingly left his position of cover to get a clear signal
in order to communicate with his headquarters. While being shot at
repeatedly, Murphy calmly provided his unit’s location and requested
immediate support for his element. He returned to his cover position to
continue the fight until finally succumbing to wounds.
Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus will deliver the ceremony's
principal address. Maureen Murphy will serve as sponsor of the ship
named for her late son. The ceremony will be highlighted by a
time-honored Navy tradition when she gives the first order to “man our
ship and bring her to life!”
“This ship honors the courage, service and sacrifice of Lt.
Michael Murphy, his Red Wings brothers, fellow SEALs, special operators
and service members around the world who answer the call of duty every
day,” said Mabus. “It is absolutely fitting that the USS Michael Murphy
bears a SEAL trident on her crest because, much like Michael and every
Navy SEAL who has earned the honor of wearing the trident, this ship is
designed to counter threats from above and below the surface of the
oceans, in the air and on land.”
Designated DDG 112, Michael Murphy is the 62nd Arleigh
Burke-class destroyer, capable of conducting operations from peacetime
presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection.
Michael Murphy is capable of fighting air, surface and subsurface
battles simultaneously and will contain a myriad of offensive and
defensive weapons designed to support maritime warfare.
“USS Michael Murphy, the most flexible, lethal and
multi-mission capable ship of its kind, represents the backbone of our
surface combatant fleet,” said Adm. Jonathan Greenert, chief of naval
operations. “It is one of the best destroyers in the world. This ship
will operate forward around the globe, assuring allies, projecting power
and defending our nation. And, like its namesake Lt. Michael Murphy,
this ship will serve to protect, influence and win in an era of
uncertainty.”
Cmdr. Thomas E. Shultz, a native of El Cajon, Calif., is
the commanding officer of the ship and will lead the crew of 279
officers and enlisted personnel. The 9,200-ton Michael Murphy was built
by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works. The ship is 509 feet in length,
has a waterline beam of 59 feet, and has a navigational draft of 31
feet. Four gas turbine engines will power the ship to speeds in excess
of 30 knots.
The commissioning ceremony will be live at
www.livestream.com/usnavy and you can join the conversation on Twitter
with the hash tag #MURPH.
Media may direct queries to the Navy Office of Information
at 703-697-5342.
Additional information on Arleigh Burke-class
destroyers is available online at
http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4200&tid=900&ct=4
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