The destroyer Michael Murphy left Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Monday on its maiden cruise: an independent deployment to the Western Pacific that also marked a first for many of the ship's crew.

"This is my first deployment and I am upset leaving my family behind," said Fire Controlman 2nd Class Eric Welch, in a Navy news release. "But I am looking forward to seeing all of the things overseas and supporting our mission in the Navy."

The Michael Murphy was commissioned in 2012 and is named for a Navy SEAL lieutenant posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism when his four-man team was ambushed in Afghanistan in 2005.

The destroyer, with a crew of over 300, deployed with a Coast Guard law enforcement detachment aboard. The ship is to conduct missions including the Oceania Maritime Security Initiative, where the ship will enforce laws in the territorial waters and exclusive economic zone of Pacific Islands associated with the U.S.

"Team Murphy has been looking forward to this deployment for a long time," said Cmdr. Todd Hutchison, the ship's commanding officer, in the news release. "We've worked hard, and while everyone dreads the separation from family and friends, we're anxious to face the challenges of our maiden deployment, answering our nation's call."

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