Morro Bay man named ‘Murph of the Week’ aboard USS Michael Murphy

– Petty Officer 2nd Class Nate Jones, (pictured above), a native of Morro Bay, California, was recently named Murph of the Week serving aboard the U.S. Navy warship, USS Michael Murphy, operating out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Jones, a 2018 Morro Bay High School graduate, joined the Navy over 4 years ago.

“I joined the Navy to travel and make money while doing it,” said Jones.

Today, Jones serves as a personnel specialist responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties.

Murph of the Week is awarded to a sailor who exemplifies outstanding dedication to duty and superior performance by going above and beyond their assigned job.

Jones earned the award for single-handedly processing the travel plans for 320 sailors on board USS Michael Murphy, specifically resulting in Michael Murphy being mission-ready while awaiting their deployment schedule.

“This award goes to show that even the low guy on the totem pole has an important job, no matter how small the task may seem, it adds to the big picture and allows people to focus on more important matters that affect the ‘big picture’ in larger ways,” said Jones.

USS Michael Murphy was named in honor of Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a Navy SEAL, who selflessly gave his life for his shipmates during a reconnaissance mission in Afghanistan as a part of Operation Red Wings. Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions and his legacy lives on with USS Michael Murphy and her crew of 337 sailors and officers.

According to Navy officials, Michael Murphy is an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer that provides a wide range of warfighting capabilities. A Navy destroyer is a multi-mission ship that can operate independently or as part of a larger group of ships at sea. The ship is equipped with tomahawk missiles, torpedoes, guns and a phalanx close-in weapons system.

As Jones and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the U.S. Navy.

– By Rick Burke, Navy Office of Community Outreach