Destroyer returns from 11-month-deployment

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii—After a 346-day deployment that included operations in the South China Sea, 12 contested transits of the Strait of Hormuz, 43 replenishments at sea and the removal of its commander 10 months in, the guided-missile-destroyer Michael Murphy returned home Thursday, welcomed by hula dancers and a rainbow stretching over the channel.

The ship was attached to the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group for much of its deployment, though the aircraft carrier returned to its home in San Diego on Oct. 8. But any deployment-length records it may have broken were short lived. The Spruance, another Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, returned home today after a 12-month deployment, and the Japan-based John Finn crew has been told to expect a 13- to 14-month deployment.

As Defense One reported on Oct. 22, Navy officials have told families to expect 10- to 10-month deployments for the foreseeable future—a stark contrast from the typical 7-month deployments of recent decades. The Navy’s top enlisted sailor, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Perryman, confirmed that a week later, saying 10-11 months will be the norm for at least a few years.

The Micheal Murphy left Hawaii on Dec. 1, 2025, and sailed through the South China Sea and Strait of Malacca before reaching the North Arabian Sea, where it spent the bulk of the deployment, said Cmdr. David Nicolas, who took command of the destroyer a month ago.

The Michael Murphy launched Tomahawk missile strikes during Operation Epic Fury and took part in the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Nicolas said.

“I’m incredibly proud to be part of this team,” he said. “This is the most resilient crew that I’ve had the pleasure to serve with.”

Nicolas previously commanded the Oscar Austin, another guided-missile destroyer. When he handed over the helm to his successor on Sept. 10, he was slated to become an instructor at Surface Warfare Schools in Rhode Island, according to a Navy press release. But a Navy official confirmed to Defense One that his plans were changed when the Michael Murphy’s previous boss, Cmdr. Caitlin Cunningham, was relieved on Sept. 27 due to a “loss of confidence” after roughly 11 months in charge.   

At Thursday’s homecoming, Petty Officer 3rd Class Jesse Bryson was first off the ship, as the winner of the “first kiss” raffle. Standing with his wife, Arianna Rios, he joked that the deployment involved “a lot of water.”

“Join the Navy, see the world—but the world is 70-percent water,” he said with a laugh. But, he added, the crew was great.

“I think you could put anyone from this ship on any other ship and they’d stand out,” Bryson said.