Heather Mongilio – November 12, 2026 1:59 PM – Updated: November 13, 2026 11:53 AM
The Navy quietly relieved the commanding officer of a naval destroyer initially deployed as part of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, USNI News has learned.
The Navy relieved Cmdr. Caitlin Cunningham on Sept. 27 due to a loss of confidence, a Navy spokesperson confirmed Tuesday to USNI News. Cunningham’s dismissal occurred just under a year into her tenure as the skipper of USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112).
No additional information was immediately available. Cunningham assumed the leadership of the destroyer on Oct. 24, 2025, ahead of the ship’s deployment.
Michael Murphy deployed on Dec. 1 to be part of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group. Michael Murphy, homeported in Pearl Harbor, initially sailed to the Indo-Pacific region as a destroyer escort before heading to the Middle East following the carrier strike group’s orders as part of Operation Epic Fury and the ongoing naval blockade.
USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) left the Middle East in August with escorts USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121) and USS Robert Smalls (CG-62). Michael Murphy stayed behind.
The destroyer left the Middle East in the middle of October, heading to the Philippines in late October and then Guam in the beginning of November, according to Navy photos.
The destroyer returned home to Pearl Harbor late Thursday, putting the ship’s deployment at 346 days, about 24 days longer than Lincoln. The Navy has warned families that 10-11 month deployments will be the new standard for the next couple of years.
On Tuesday, Commander, Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific put out a video on Facebook showing homecoming planning for Michael Murphy.
Heather Mongilio
Heather Mongilio is a reporter with USNI News. She has a master’s degree in science journalism and has covered local courts, crime, health, military affairs and the Naval Academy.
Email: hmongilio@usni.org
Signal: Hmongilio.52
Follow @hmongilio
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