A Windsor native is sailing the Arabian Sea with the Canadian Navy.
Leading Seaman Kyle Murphy is aboard the HMCS Charlottetown as a boatswain completing an eight-month deployment on a ship patrolling the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Gulf and Red Sea.
“This was my first long deployment. I have many friends that have done them before so I was able to go to them and ask questions and tips for making this easier for both me and my family. There have been many emails and phone calls made to ensure both friends and family know that I’m doing well,” Murphy wrote in an email to the Hants Journal.
The ship has docked in ports in Dubai, Oman, Kuwait, Africa, and sailed the Mediterranean Sea with Murphy on board. He has also visited France, Greece, Portugal, Spain and numerous destinations in Italy since embarking on the longest deployment since he joined the Canadian Forces upon graduating from the Avon View High School four years ago.
“The purpose of the deployment was to conduct patrols, conduct operational boardings, escort ships and inhibit illegal trafficking.”
While chores can change from day to day, Murphy is mainly expected to operate and maintain 50-calibre machine guns, drive small boats, aid the ship’s demolition team with tasks involving C4 plastic explosives, paint, clean, and stand watch on the ship when needed.
If there’s time for leisure, Murphy says working out is the most popular way to pass time on board but, recently, the 2012 Olympic Games kept the crew occupied.
As a special assignment, the crew of the HMCS Charlottetown had the opportunity to be involved with the USS Entreprise’s last sail before the aircraft carrier, which was featured in the film “Top Gun,” was decommissioned.
“It was a pleasure to be able to say we did exercises and worked with her on her last deployment.”
Murphy says he was working with a crew comprised of strangers when he set sail, but they’ve since become a cohesive unit.
“I have learned many things from this trip. I learned the value of having a loving family and friends to care for you while you’re away, and you always need to find time for them. I’ve learned that there is also a place for everyone on this ship. Without everyone it would just be another vessel; all the people on here are what makes us what we are,” he said.
“Meeting all the new people and coming together as a crew from scratch, this was the first time the Navy has done what we’ve done, and I’m glad to say I was part of this experience.”
