US Guided-Missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy arrives in Port Moresby, PNG

THE guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) arrived in Port Moresby on Saturday

As the first US Navy ship to visit Port Moresby since USS Comstock (LSD 45) in 2017, Michael Murphy arrived as the nation prepares to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summit for the first time in November.

Port visits like this strengthen the US Navy’s relationship with the maritime forces of Papua New Guinea.

This visit follows the recent visits of Admiral Philip Davidson, Commander of the Indo Pacific Command, Deputy Indo-Pacific Commander Bryan Fenton, Under Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly and Deputy Assistance Secretary of Defence Dr Joseph Felter to Port Moresby to meet with senior military and civilian officials and discuss shared security issues.

While in port, the crew will conduct maritime cross-learning exercises, attend the PM’s XIII rugby league match, participate in a “friendly” match of football and rugby, participate in religious services at Murray Barracks and give the ship’s crew an opportunity to learn more about PNG.

“We’re adding an experience for our crew that allows us to reinforce partnerships in Papua New Guinea,” said Cmdr Kevin Louis, commanding officer of Michael Murphy.

“We’re excited to visit Papua New Guinea and look forward to being ambassadors for our ship, the Navy and our country.”

Several USS Michael Murphy sailors took the opportunity to learn about Port Moresby’s historic role in World War II. The Port Moresby airfield was a strategically important airfield in the Pacific. A plot to capture the airfield culminated in the first naval battle between aircraft carriers, the Battle of the Coral Sea.

USS Michael Murphy is forward deployed to the US 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

In September, USS Michael Murphy’s crew participated in exercise Kakadu, the Royal Australian Navy’s premier exercise where regional nations conduct multinational maritime humanitarian assistance, search and rescue operations and high-end maritime warfare scenarios.

The US 7th Fleet is the largest of forward-deployed U.S. Fleets, with approximately 50 ships, 120 aircraft and 20,000 sailors and marines assigned at any given time. For more information, visit the US 7th Fleet Web site at www.c7f.navy.mil.