PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - The Navy's newest guided-missile destroyer, USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112), will arrive at its new homeport of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Nov. 21.

The ship, commissioned last month in Manhattan, honors Lt. (SEAL) Michael P. Murphy, a New York native who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during Operation Red Wing in Afghanistan in 2005. 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.

At the ship's commissioning Oct. 6, Adm. Jonathan Greenert, chief of naval operations, said, "USS Michael Murphy, the most flexible, lethal and multi-mission capable ship of its kind, represents the backbone of our surface combatant fleet. 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."

Rear Adm. Frank Ponds, commander of Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific, will personally welcome Commanding Officer Cmdr. Thomas E. Shultz and his crew of 279 officers and enlisted personnel, as well as their families, to their new home.

"It is a special privilege to bring the Navy's newest surface ship to our waterfront. USS Michael Murphy is joining a great team here with the finest shore support imaginable. They are coming to a welcoming and supportive community here in Hawaii where they will be greeted with the spirit of aloha and made part of our ohana (family)," Ponds said.

USS Michael Murphy will be welcomed to Hawaii with a traditional Hawaiian blessing on board, a special pier-side tribute by fellow service members, music by the U.S. Pacific Fleet Band, and a performance by local hula halau.

The 9,200-ton Michael Murphy was built by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works. The ship is the 62nd ship in the Arleigh Burke class of Navy destroyers and the last of its class. It is 509 feet in length, has a waterline beam of 59 feet, and has a navigational draft of 31 feet.

USS Michael Murphy will deploy periodically from Hawaii under the Middle Pacific Surface Combatant (MPSC) deployment concept in which Pearl Harbor-based ships are ready to deploy forward in support of operations primarily in the Western Pacific under Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet.

"This new member of our team demonstrates a commitment to rebalance to the Pacific, where we are always ready to operate forward," Ponds said.

The guided-missile destroyer is designed to counter threats from the air and sea, and from aircraft, ships and submarines. USS Michael Murphy is one of the U.S. Navy's most advanced, state-of-the-art warships in the Fleet.