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Navy Christens Guided-Missile Destroyer Michael Murphy
(May 11, 2011) |
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| BATH, Maine (NNS - 5/7/2011) -- The Navy christened its newest
guided-missile destroyer, Pre-commissioning Unit (PCU) Michael
Murphy (DDG 112), during a morning ceremony at General Dynamics Bath
Iron Works in Bath, Maine May 7.
The new destroyer honors Medal of Honor recipient Lt. (SEAL)
Michael P. Murphy and was christened on what would have been his
35th birthday.
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Bath, Maine (May 7, 2011) -- Guests await the christening ceremony for the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer Pre-commissioning Unit (PCU) Michael Murphy (DDG 112) at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. Michael Murphy was christened by Maureen Murphy, mother of the ship's namesake, Navy (SEAL) Lt. Michael Murphy. 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. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Dominique M. Lasco |
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"It is my sincere belief that this ship will build on the momentum
gained by our special operations forces in the fight against
extremism and sail the seas in a world made more peaceful by
sustained American vigilance, power and dignity," said Chief of
Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead. "This ship will carry Michael's
legacy and values to Sailors several decades from now and to a new
generation of Americans. For that I am proud to wear this uniform." |
Bath, Maine (May 7, 2011) -- Adm. Eric Olson, Commander, U.S.
Special Operations Command, left, Dan Murphy, father of Lt. Michael
Murphy (SEAL), Lt. Murphy's mother and ship's sponsor Maureen
Murphy, and Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Gary Roughead pose
for a photo during the christening ceremony for the Arleigh
Burke-Class guided-missile destroyer Pre-commissioning Unit (PCS)
Michael Murphy (DDG 112). U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass
Communication Specialist Tiffini Jones Vanderwyst |
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Maureen Murphy, sponsor of the ship named for her late son, had the
honor of breaking a bottle of champagne across the ship's bow,
formally christening the ship in accordance with Navy tradition.
"I am so proud and it is truly an honor," said Murphy." For people
to come out and remember Mike and to celebrate this ship; it means a
lot and it means that they still remember the sacrifice he made for
this country."
On June 28, 2005, Murphy was leading 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 his wounds.
Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command Adm. Eric T. Olson,
Deputy Commander, Naval Special Warfare Command Rear Adm. Garry
Bonelli and family members of the Navy SEALs who lost their lives
alongside Murphy were also in attendance.
Designated DDG 112, Michael Murphy, the 62nd Arleigh Burke-class
destroyer, will be able to conduct a variety of operations, from
peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power
projection. Michael Murphy will be capable of fighting air, surface
and subsurface battles simultaneously and will contain a myriad of
offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime warfare
in keeping with CNO's "A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century
Seapower." |
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Cmdr. Thomas E. Shultz, a native of El Cajon, Calif., is the
prospective commanding officer of the ship and will lead the crew of
279 officers and enlisted personnel. The 9,200-ton Michael Murphy is
being built by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works. The ship is 509
feet in length, has a waterline beam of 59 feet, and a navigational
draft of 31 feet. Four gas turbine engines will power the ship to
speeds in excess of 30 knots. |
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By
Navy MCS Dominique M. Lasco
USS Theodore Roosevelt Public Affairs
Copyright 2011
Reprinted from
Navy News Service
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