Page 20. MAINE COASTAL NEWS July 2017 U. S. N N “Being part of the VBSS team is pretty
cool,” said Operations Specialist 3rd Class Ryan Rosado. “Being able to board a war- ship from another country is an incredible experience. The South Koreans were very welcoming, and I am glad to have met them.” Over the fi ve-month span, Michael
Murphy executed port visits in Suva, Fiji; Honiara, Solomon Islands; Port Klang, Malaysia; and Guam. A group of Sailors also visited Funafuti, Tuvalu, for a com- munity service event. Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) sponsored tours and events were also off ered, allowing Sailors to explore the ports and experience the culture of each location. “I went on an MWR tour in Malaysia,”
YOKOSUKA, Japan (June 18, 2017) Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin, commander U.S. 7th Fleet speaks to members of the press about the guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) which was involved in a collision with a merchant vessel. Fitzgerald suff ered severe damage but returned to Fleet Activities Yokosuka under its own power. The incident is under investigation. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Peter Burghart/Released)
Continued from Page 9. “I am incredibly proud of the hard work
and dedication the crew exhibited during this deployment with the Carl Vinson Strike Group,” said Cmdr. Robert A. Heely Jr., Mi- chael Murphy’s commanding offi cer. “They were resilient and always up to the task.” Michael Murphy began the deployment
by conducting training as part of the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group off the coast of Hawaii to improve readiness and cohesion as a strike group. Michael Murphy then conducted an 18-day joint mission with the U.S. Coast
Guard in the Central and South Pacifi c under the Oceania Maritime Security Initiative (OMSI) to combat transnational crimes, enforce fi sheries laws and enhance regional security.
Following the OMSI mission, Michael
Murphy linked back up with the strike group to conduct a routine security patrol in the Indo-Asia-Pacifi c region, focusing on nor- malizing U.S. presence in the region. “Our missions spanned from Oceania,
through the South China Sea, and ended in the Sea of Japan as we strengthened our partnerships within the Indo-Asia-Pacifi c region,” said Heely. “Team Murphy per- formed exceptionally well and led the fi ght each step of the way.” Michael Murphy conducted several
exercises with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) to build and strengthen alli- ances with foreign navies. Among the exercises was a visit, board,
search and seizure (VBSS) exercise. Sailors from ROK Gang Gam Chan (DDH 979) conducted a VBSS boarding aboard Michael Murphy. Michael Murphy VBSS members then boarded Gang Gam Chan to complete the exercise.
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said Damage Controlman 2nd Class Peter Rodriguez. “We took a long bus ride through the Malaysian countryside to an elephant park. It was incredible seeing the landscape and vegetation in Malaysia. I don’t think many people experienced Malaysia like I did.”
Sailors also had many opportunities to
participate in community service projects, with events in Fiji, Tuvalu, Solomon Is- lands and Guam. Sailors landscaped in Fiji, interacted with students at an intermediate school in Tuvalu, delivered extra medical supplies to a hospital in Solomon Islands and painted and picked up trash around a school in Guam. “I participated in the Tuvalu community
service event at a local intermediate school,” said Ensign Kasey Landry. “It was humbling to experience the culture of Tuvalu. I was amazed to see how passionate the teachers were, and although we were there to help their community, it was the people of Tuvalu who gave the most, humbling and embracing Michael Murphy Sailors in their homes.” Commissioned Oct. 6, 2012, USS Mi-
chael Murphy is named after former U.S. Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy. Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during Oper- ation Red Wings in Afghanistan, June 28, 2005. He was the fi rst person to be awarded the medal for actions in Afghanistan and was the fi rst member of the U.S. Navy to receive the award since the Vietnam War. Michael Murphy is part of U.S. 3rd
Fleet and U.S. Naval Surface Forces. U.S. 3rd Fleet leads naval forces in the Pacifi c and provides realistic, relevant training nec- essary for an eff ective global Navy, working constantly with U.S. 7th Fleet. The forces of both fl eets complement one another across the spectrum of military operations in the Pacifi c.
USS Fitzgerald Involved in Collision From U.S. 7th Fleet Public Aff airs
PHILIPPINE SEA (NNS) -- USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) was involved in a collision with a merchant vessel at approximately 2:30 a.m. local time, June 17, while operating about 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka, Japan.
As of this time, there have been two
patients requiring medical evacuation. One was Cmdr. Bryce Benson, Fitzgerald’s com- manding offi cer, who was transferred to U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka and is reportedly in stable condition. A second MEDEVAC is in progress. Other injured are being as- sessed. There are seven Sailors unaccounted for; the ship and the Japanese Coast Guard continues to search for them. Although Fitzgerald is under her own
power, USS Dewey (DDG 105) got under- way this morning as well as several U.S. Navy aircraft, and will join Japanese Coast Guard and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopters, ships and aircraft to ren- der whatever assistance may be required.
“U.S. and Japanese support from the
Navy, Maritime Self Defense Force and Coast Guard are in the area to ensure that the Sailors on USS Fitzgerald have the resources they need to stabilize their ship. As more information is learned, we will be sure to share to it with the Fitzgerald fami- lies and when appropriate the public. Thank you for your well wishes and messages of concern. All of our thoughts and prayers are with the Fitzgerald crew and their families,” said Adm. John Richardson, Chief of Naval Operations. “Right now we are focused on two
things: the safety of the ship and the well-be- ing of the Sailors,” said Adm. Scott Swift, commander of the U.S. Pacifi c Fleet. “We thank our Japanese partners for their assis- tance.”
Vice Adm. Aucoin Holds Press Confer- ence about USS Fitzgerald Collision From U.S. 7th Fleet Public Aff airs
YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- The follow- ing are U.S. 7th Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin’s prepared remarks for a press conference held June 18 at Command- er Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, about the collision of USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) with a merchant vessel June 17. Thanks for coming today. USS Fitzgerald experienced extensive
damage and fl ooding after a collision with the Filipino container ship at 0220 local time, 17 June, approx. 56 nm off the coast of Honshu, Japan. The damage included a significant
impact under the ship’s pilothouse on the starboard side and a large puncture below the ship’s waterline, opening the hull to the sea.
The ship suffered severe damage
rapidly fl ooding three large compartments that included one machinery room and two berthing areas for 116 crew. The command- ing offi cer’s cabin was also directly hit, trapping the CO inside. The crew’s response was swift and ef-
fective, and I want to point out - as we stand by the ship - how proud I am of them. Heroic eff orts prevented the fl ooding
from catastrophically spreading which could have caused the ship to founder or sink. It could have been much worse. The crew navigated the ship into one of
the busiest ports in the world with a magnetic compass and backup navigation equipment. One of two shafts were locked. Because of the tireless damage control
eff orts of a resolute and courageous team, the ship was able to make its way back to port safely on its own power last evening. The Fitzgerald crew responded profes-
sionally as all Sailors are expected to fi ght the damage sustained to their ship. They are known as the “Fighting Fitz” and the crew lived up to that name. We owe it to our families and the Navy
to understand what happened. Under my authority, I am initiating a JAGMAN inves- tigation into this collision, and I will appoint a fl ag offi cer to lead that investigation. There will also be a safety investigation. The U.S. Coast Guard is to take the lead on the marine casualty investigation. We recognize that there are other orga-
nizations who have equities in this incident, and we expect they will conduct their own separate investigations. More information on any further investigations will be forth- coming. I will not speculate on how long these investigations will last. As you are aware, we have found the remains of a number of our missing ship-
Continued on Page 21.
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