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USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112)

USS MICHAEL MURPHY is one of the ARLEIGH BURKE Flight IIA guided missile destroyers and the first ship in the Navy named after Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy.

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS MICHAEL MURPHY. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

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About the Ship's Coat of Arms:

The Shield:

The shape is taken from the shield on the New York State Seal, to indicate Michael Murphy’s home state. Navy blue and gold are the traditional colors of the Navy, and the shield is divided by a chevron which symbolizes the ship on a dark blue sea horizoned by a starry sky which here is the light blue chief with seven white stars that recalls the Medal of Honor colors with the stars alluding to the ship’s and SEAL team operations across the seven seas. The Maltese Cross stands as recognition of FDNY Engine Company 53 and Ladder Company 43 which were used as inspiration for LT Murphy’s SEAL Team and tied his motivation to the events of September 11, 2001. The flaming sword of Michael the Archangel, for whom he was named, and the Spartan shield are reflective of his fateful battle and SEAL warrior ethos. The purple detail line on the sword, double saltire and chevron reversed on the Spartan shield is representative of the Purple Heart awarded to the 20 Americans who were part of Operation RED WINGS and all the service men and women who have sacrificed for their country. The Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest decoration for valor, draped as being worn by LT Murphy, is a reminder of his ultimate sacrifice for his teammates and his being the first Medal of Honor recipient from the war in Afghanistan and the first Navy recipient since the Vietnam War.

The Crest:

The rolled and turned red, white and blue ribbon honors the patriotic service of the SEAL teams since their formation, surmounted here by the SEAL Trident which LT Murphy was proud to wear.

The Motto:

A Navy Blue scroll bordered and turned Gold and forming the initials M and M, a tribute to the ship’s namesake and his mother, Maureen Murphy, is inscribed “LEAD THE FIGHT” in Gold letters.

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About the Ship's Namesake:

Lt. Michael P. Murphy was born May 7, 1976 in Smithtown, N.Y., and grew up in the New York City commuter town of Patchogue, N.Y. on Long Island.

Murphy grew up active in sports and attended Patchogue's Saxton Middle School. In high school, Murphy took a summer lifeguard job at the Brookhaven town beach in Lake Ronkonkoma - a job he returned to each summer through his college years. Murphy graduated from Patchogue-Medford High School in 1994.

Murphy attended Penn State University, where he was an exceptional all-around athlete and student, excelling at ice hockey and graduating with honors. In 1998, he graduated with a pair of Bachelor of Arts degrees from Penn State - in political science and psychology.

Following graduation, he was accepted to several law schools, but instead he changed course. Slightly built at 5 feet 10 inches, Murphy decided to attend SEAL mentoring sessions at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point with his sights on becoming a U.S. Navy SEAL. Murphy accepted an appointment to the Navy's Officer Candidate School at Pensacola, Fla., in September 2000.

Murphy was commissioned as an ensign in the Navy on Dec. 13, 2000, and began Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado, Calif., in January 2001, graduating with Class 236. BUD/S is a six-month training course and the first step to becoming a Navy SEAL.

Upon graduation from BUD/S, he attended the Army Jump School, SEAL Qualification Training and SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) school. Lt. Murphy earned his SEAL Trident and checked on board SDV Team (SDVT) 1 in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in July of 2002. In October of 2002, he deployed with Foxtrot Platoon to Jordan as the liaison officer for Exercise Early Victor.

Following his tour with SDVT-1, Lt. Murphy was assigned to Special Operations Central Command in Florida and deployed to Qatar in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. After returning from Qatar, Lt. Murphy was deployed to the Horn of Africa, Djibouti, to assist in the operational planning of future SDV missions.

In early 2005, Murphy was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1 as assistant officer in charge of ALFA Platoon and deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. On June 28, 2005, Lt. Murphy was the officer-in-charge of a four-man SEAL element in support of Operation Red Wing tasked with finding a key anti-coalition militia commander near Asadabad, Afghanistan. Shortly after inserting into the objective area, the SEALs were spotted by three goat herders who were initially detained and then released. It is believed the goat herders immediately reported the SEALs’ presence to Taliban fighters.

A fierce gun battle ensued on the steep face of the mountain between the SEALs and a much larger enemy force. Despite the intensity of the firefight and suffering grave gunshot wounds himself, Murphy is credited with risking his own life to save the lives of his teammates. Murphy, intent on making contact with headquarters, but realizing this would be impossible in the extreme terrain where they were fighting, unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his own life moved into the open, where he could gain a better position to transmit a call to get help for his men.

Moving away from the protective mountain rocks, he knowingly exposed himself to increased enemy gunfire. This deliberate and heroic act deprived him of cover and made him a target for the enemy. While continuing to be fired upon, Murphy made contact with the SOF Quick Reaction Force at Bagram Air Base and requested assistance. He calmly provided his unit’s location and the size of the enemy force while requesting immediate support for his team. At one point, he was shot in the back causing him to drop the transmitter. Murphy picked it back up, completed the call and continued firing at the enemy who was closing in. Severely wounded, Lt. Murphy returned to his cover position with his men and continued the battle.

As a result of Murphy’s call, an MH-47 Chinook helicopter, with eight additional SEALs and eight Army Night Stalkers aboard, was sent in as part of the QRF to extract the four embattled SEALs. As the Chinook drew nearer to the fight, a rocket-propelled grenade hit the helicopter, causing it to crash and killing all 16 men aboard.

On the ground and nearly out of ammunition, the four SEALs, continued to fight. By the end of a two-hour gunfight that careened through the hills and over cliffs, Murphy, Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class (SEAL) Danny Dietz and Sonar Technician 2nd Class (SEAL) Matthew Axelson had fallen. An estimated 35 Taliban were also dead. The fourth SEAL, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (SEAL) Marcus Luttrell, was blasted over a ridge by a rocket-propelled grenade and knocked unconscious. Though severely wounded, the fourth SEAL and sole survivor, Luttrell, was able to evade the enemy for nearly a day; after which local nationals came to his aide, carrying him to a nearby village where they kept him for three more days. Luttrell was rescued by U.S. Forces on July 2, 2005.

By his undaunted courage, intrepid fighting spirit and inspirational devotion to his men in the face of certain death, Lt. Murphy was able to relay the position of his unit, an act that ultimately led to the rescue of Luttrell and the recovery of the remains of the three who were killed in the battle.

Lt. Murphy was buried at Calverton National Cemetery less than 20 miles from his childhood home. Lt. Murphy’s other personal awards include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Ribbon and National Defense Service Medal.

Lt. Murphy is survived by his mother Maureen Murphy; his father Dan Murphy; and his brother John Murphy.

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USS MICHAEL MURPHY History:

USS MICHAEL MURPHY was ordered on September 13, 2002, and built at Bath Iron Works in Maine; her keel was laid on June 18, 2010, she was christened by Maureen Murphy on May 7, 2011, launched on May 8, 2011, and delivered to the Navy on May 6, 2012. She arrived in New York on October 1, 2012, for final preparations and was commissioned at Pier 88 in Manhattan on October 6, 2012, honoring the ship’s namesake, Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy. Immediately after commissioning she shaped a south-and-west track through the Caribbean and made her first international port call at Bridgetown, Barbados, on October 16, 2012, before crossing the Pacific to her new homeport. She entered Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on November 21, 2012, beginning her career with U.S. Pacific Fleet.

In 2013, the destroyer settled into local operations and workups from Pearl Harbor, conducting early underway periods and family day events while building crew proficiency for independent and group tasking around Hawaii. These first months laid the foundation for the training rhythm she would maintain from the Middle Pacific.

From January-February 2014, MICHAEL MURPHY took part in KOA KAI 14-1, a joint maritime exercise in the Hawaiian operating areas that brought Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force aviation aboard for deck landing and integrated warfare drills. On February 28, 2014, the Canadian oiler HMCS PROTECTEUR suffered a major engine-room fire about 340 nautical miles northeast of Hawaii. MICHAEL MURPHY was dispatched to assist, embarked non-essential personnel from PROTECTEUR, and supported the towing effort as U.S. and Canadian units brought the damaged ship safely into Pearl Harbor on March 6. In mid-summer she joined RIMPAC 2014, operating in large multi-national formations around Hawaii from June 26 to August 1.

After a brief post-RIMPAC reset, MICHAEL MURPHY departed Pearl Harbor on October 20, 2014, for her maiden Western Pacific deployment. Through late 2014 and into 2015 she operated with U.S. 7th Fleet, taking part in advanced training and combined operations including the Multi-Sail series near Guam; during the cruise she made port visits at Suva (Fiji), Honiara (Solomon Islands), Port Klang (Malaysia), and Apra Harbor (Guam), with additional community-relations visits ashore. She returned to Pearl Harbor on May 21, 2015, after seven months deployed, and on May 26, 2015, the crew received a Canadian Forces Unit Commendation recognizing the earlier assistance to PROTECTEUR.

Throughout 2016, the destroyer remained in the Central Pacific as an independently deployable unit, including a June 19 medical evacuation at sea that underscored her role as a ready asset for emergent tasks in Hawaii's vast approaches. These operations coincided with the region's broader focus on maritime safety and readiness in the lead-up to renewed deployments.

On January 13, 2017, MICHAEL MURPHY departed Pearl Harbor with the CARL VINSON (CVN 70) Carrier Strike Group for a Western Pacific deployment amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. She worked alongside carrier USS CARL VINSON, cruiser USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN (CG 57), and destroyers including USS O'KANE (DDG 77). During the five-month cruise she called at Guam and Port Klang and visited Oceania, concluding with a return to Pearl Harbor on June 13, 2017.

In early 2018, MICHAEL MURPHY again sailed with CARL VINSON, arriving in Manila on February 16 for a strike-group port visit, then completing a three-month Western Pacific deployment that included work with the French Navy and an Oceania Maritime Security Initiative patrol with the U.S. Coast Guard. She returned to Pearl Harbor on April 18, 2018. In late August-September 2018, she shifted south to Darwin, Australia for Exercise KAKADU 2018, training at sea with 20-plus partner nations and operating in company with units such as HMAS STUART (FFH 153) and HMCS CALGARY (FFH 335). In November 2018, she visited Papua New Guinea in support of security arrangements around APEC Leaders' Week.

During mid-2019, the ship shifted to the U.S. 4th Fleet theater, participating in Chilean-hosted Teamwork South and UNITAS LX (June 24-July 3 at Valparaiso) before conducting maritime security operations in the eastern Pacific. On July 24, 2019, while on patrol, her crew rescued five Peruvian mariners adrift for more than eight days, and through late July-August she supported counter-trafficking interdictions and other regional missions. She returned to Hawaii later that year to prepare for maintenance.

After a depot-level availability at Pearl Harbor, MICHAEL MURPHY completed sea trials in mid-2020 and executed several command transitions. Despite the COVID-19 environment - during which a November 2020 outbreak ashore forced quarantine measures - the ship maintained training continuity, and on December 8-9, 2020, conducted bilateral maneuvering and communications drills in the eastern Pacific with Royal New Zealand Navy frigate HMNZS TE KAHA (F 77), demonstrating post-maintenance readiness.

In 2021, she operated across the eastern Pacific in integrated Navy-Coast Guard formations with cutters USCGC MIDGETT (WMSL 757) and USCGC OLIVER BERRY (WPC 1124), then joined the CARL VINSON strike group deployment that began August 2, 2021. Through late 2021 and January 2022 she took part in Large Scale Exercise 2021, multilateral events such as Malabar and ANNUALEX, and integrated operations with the ESSEX (LHD 2) Amphibious Ready Group in the South China Sea, reflecting the Indo-Pacific's emphasis on carrier-amphibious synchronization. She returned to Pearl Harbor on February 3, 2022, after roughly eight months spanning U.S. 7th and 5th Fleet areas of responsibility.

Following that deployment, the destroyer completed a maintenance availability at Pearl Harbor in late 2022 and a follow-on dry-docking selected restricted availability (DSRA) executed by Vigor and the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard team, finishing on May 15, 2023. These periods modernized combat systems, hull-mechanical-electrical equipment, and habitability spaces and set conditions for sustained operations.

In 2024, MICHAEL MURPHY deployed with the ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN 72) Carrier Strike Group (CSG-3). Carrier Air Wing NINE embarked ABRAHAM LINCOLN on July 11, 2024, as the strike group headed west. Early in the deployment MICHAEL MURPHY made a formal visit to Colombo, Sri Lanka, from July 23-26, then continued across the Indian Ocean and into U.S. Central Command waters as the carrier group later supported regional maritime security. She returned to Pearl Harbor on December 12, 2024, concluding a five-month cruise while sister destroyers USS O'KANE (DDG 77) and USS STOCKDALE (DDG 106) remained forward.

On July 2, 2025, MICHAEL MURPHY was recognized with the 2024 Arleigh Burke Fleet Trophy, capping a multi-year span of deployments, bilateral exercises, and maintenance recoveries that kept the ship in the center of Pacific and Middle Eastern operational patterns.

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Homeports of USS MICHAEL MURPHY:

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USS MICHAEL MURPHY Image Gallery:

The photos below were taken by Shiu On Yee during USS MICHAEL MURPHY's port visit to Hong Kong April 24-28, 2015. The ship is on its maiden WestPac deployment.

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The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning on June 8, 2018, during an open ship event aboard USS MICHAEL MURPHY as part of the Rose Festival in Portland, Or.

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The photos below were taken by Sebastian Thoma and show USS MICHAEL MURPHY at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hi., on March 18, 2022.

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