31-582: USNS Mercy (T-AH-19) is the lead ship of her class of hospital ships in non-commissioned service with the United States Navy . Her sister ship is USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) . She is the third US Navy ship to be named after the virtue mercy . In accordance with the Geneva Conventions , Mercy and her crew do not carry any offensive weapons, though defensive weapons are available. United States Naval Ship (USNS) Mercy
62-634: A coordinated manner. The ship visited Indonesia , the Philippines , Vietnam , and Cambodia carrying personnel not only from the Department of Defense, but also 13 partner nations and 28 non-governmental organizations. The National Conflict Resolution Center honored the master and crew of hospital ship USNS Mercy with its 25th annual Peacemaker Award for her participation in Pacific Partnership (2012). In mid-November 2013, Mercy
93-986: A forward bridge, and a helicopter-landing deck with a flight-control facility. The conversions from oil tankers cost $ 208 million per ship and took 35 months to complete. The Mercy -class hospital ships are the third largest ships in the US Navy Fleet by length, surpassed only by the nuclear-powered Nimitz - and Gerald R. Ford -class supercarriers . Her primary mission is to provide medical and surgical services to support Marine Corps Air/Ground Task Forces deployed ashore, Army and Air Force units deployed ashore, and naval amphibious task forces and battle forces afloat. Secondarily, she provides mobile surgical hospital service for use by appropriate US Government agencies in disaster and humanitarian relief, and limited humanitarian care incident to these missions and to peacetime military operations. Mercy , homeported in San Diego,
124-479: A four-month humanitarian and civic deployment in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Mercy , with 900 officers and sailors, included 300 US health and construction experts. Partners participating in the mission included the nations of Australia, Canada, Chile , Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and Portugal , as well as several non-governmental organizations. Originally intended to visit the Philippines , Vietnam,
155-685: Is as of 2012 part of MSC's Service Support Program. The "Medical Treatment Facility", or hospital on the ship, is commanded by a captain of the Navy Medical Corps or Navy Nurse Corps . On 27 February 1987, Mercy began training while en route on a humanitarian cruise to the Philippines and the South Pacific. The staff included U.S. Navy , Indian Navy , U.S. Army , and U.S. Air Force active duty and reserve personnel; United States Public Health Service ; medical providers from
186-545: Is normally in reduced operating status. Her crew remains a part of the staff of Naval Medical Center San Diego until ordered to sea, at which time they have five days to fully activate the ship to a NATO Role III Medical Treatment Facility. The only higher level being onshore fixed facilities outside the theater of operations. Like most USNS ships, mariners from the US Navy's Military Sealift Command are responsible for navigation, propulsion, and most deck duties on board. Mercy
217-410: Is the first of a series or class of ships that are all constructed according to the same general design . The term is applicable to naval ships and large civilian vessels. Large ships are very complex and may take five to ten years to build. Improvements based on experience with building and operating the lead ship are likely to be incorporated into the design or construction of later ships in
248-733: The Adelaide class in Royal Australian Navy service. Operation Unified Assistance Operation Unified Assistance was the American military's humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami . On 28 December 2004, elements of the Combined Support Force were deployed to U-Tapao International Airport in Thailand. More than 12,600 Department of Defense personnel were involved in
279-519: The Armed Forces of the Philippines ; and MSC civilian mariners. Over 62,000 outpatients and almost 1,000 inpatients were treated at seven Philippine and South Pacific ports. Mercy returned to Oakland, California , on 13 July 1987. On 9 August 1990, Mercy was activated in support of Operation Desert Shield . Departing on 15 August, she arrived in the Persian Gulf on 15 September. For
310-635: The Federated States of Micronesia , East Timor , and Papua New Guinea , Mercy was to be redirected to the Bay of Bengal to provide immediate assistance to victims of the cyclone in Burma , but relief efforts in Burma were called off. On 10 June, the humanitarian mission was temporarily suspended after one of the ship's helicopters was shot at in the strife-torn southern Philippines area of Mindanao . Over
341-480: The Philippines and Vietnam. US Pacific Fleet announced that Mercy would set sail to Sri Lanka for Pacific Partnership 2018. The United Seamen's Service at its annual Admiral of the Ocean Sea Awards (AOTOS) event honored the masters and crews of hospital ship USNS Mercy with Special Recognition Mariner's Plaque for her participation in Pacific Partnership (2018). From March until May 2020, Mercy
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#1732783108814372-594: The South Pacific Ocean including the Philippines , Indonesia, and Banda Aceh . The ship's primary mission was to provide humanitarian assistance to these countries, and her staff included several non-governmental organizations, doctors from the armed services of several countries, as well as active-duty and reserve military providers from many branches of the US Armed Forces . Mercy departed San Diego on 14 April 2008 for Pacific Partnership 2008,
403-434: The class, so it is rare to have vessels that are identical. The second and later ships are often started before the first one is completed, launched and tested. Nevertheless, building copies is still more efficient and cost effective than building prototypes , and the lead ship will usually be followed by copies with some improvements rather than radically different versions. The improvements will sometimes be retrofitted to
434-545: The combat stores ships San Jose and Niagara Falls . In January 2005, 24 Navy ships and one Coast Guard vessel were in the area. Among those ships was the amphibious assault ship USS Fort Mchenry (LSD43), USS Essex (LHD-2) which relieved the Bonhomme Richard , and assumed the duties as the primary rotary wing platform for the operation. USS Essex (LHD-2) also brought helicopter detachments. The last ship, USS Mercy , departed
465-688: The course of the deployment, Mercy would treat 91,000 patients, including performing 1,369 surgeries. On 24 February 2010, the Commander of the US Pacific Fleet announced that Mercy will be the lead vessel of Pacific Partnership 2010, a continuation of the recurring humanitarian mission to Southeast Asia and Oceania. For Pacific Partnership 2010 Mercy visited Vietnam , Cambodia , Indonesia , and East Timor ; treated 109,754 patients, and performed 1,580 surgeries. 3 May 2012 saw Mercy depart San Diego once again for Pacific Partnership 2012,
496-663: The exercise, Mercy participated in multi-lateral Subject Matter Expert Exchanges with other military medical professionals. In addition, Mercy steamed with Peace Ark , the hospital ship from the People's Republic of China during phases of the exercise. Ten years after the relief effort for victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami, US Pacific Fleet announced that Mercy would once again participate in Pacific Partnership. Focusing on Subject Matter Expert Exchanges and Community Health Engagements, Pacific Partnership 15 looks to continue
527-518: The group were amphibious transport dock Duluth , the guided-missile destroyer Milius , the dock landing ship Rushmore , the guided-missile frigate Thach , the nuclear-powered submarine Pasadena , guided-missile cruiser Bunker Hill , and the coast guard cutter Douglas Munro . The US Navy also deployed the Mercy , a 1,000-bed hospital ship (initially staffed to support 250 patient beds). Other logistics ships were also employed such as
558-511: The latest deployment of the Pacific Partnership series. In an effort to further expand the scope of the mission of "Preparing in Calm to Respond in Crisis", many more man hours of Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE) with host nations, Veterinary Care, and construction projects were performed compared to past Mercy deployments, building the capacity of host nations to respond to regional disasters in
589-494: The lead ship. Occasionally, the lead ship will be launched and commissioned for shakedown testing before following ships are completed, making the lead ship a combination of template and prototype, rather than expending resources on a prototype that will never see actual use. Ship classes are typically named in one of two ways; echoing the name of the lead ship, such as the Pennsylvania -class battleships , whose lead ship
620-555: The mission of helping nations in the region "Prepare in Calm to Respond in Crisis". Countries hosting Mercy include Fiji , Papua New Guinea , the Philippines and Vietnam. Celebrating 10 years of Pacific Partnership, US Pacific Fleet announced that Mercy would continue to participate in the ongoing series of Disaster Preparedness missions. Focusing on local Subject Matter Expert Exchanges, Pacific Partnership 16 continues to "Prepare in Calm to Respond in Crisis". Countries that have invited Mercy include East Timor, Malaysia , Indonesia,
651-494: The next six months, Mercy provided support to multinational allied forces. She admitted 690 patients and performed almost 300 surgeries. After treating the 21 American and two Italian repatriated prisoners of war , she departed for home on 16 March 1991, arriving in Oakland on 23 April. Mercy departed San Diego on 5 January 2005 en route to the tsunami -devastated regions of Southeast Asia , where she provided medical care to
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#1732783108814682-492: The relief effort. The United States dispatched numerous C-5 and C-17 strategic airlifters and 10 C-130 Hercules tactical airlifters containing disaster supplies, 9 P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft for search and rescue support, and several teams from the Department of State and the Department of Defense to coordinate additional assistance from Utapao Naval Air Base in Thailand. Carrier Strike Group 9
713-435: The ship after destroying several barriers and suffered a substantial fuel oil leak requiring cleanup from fire fighters and hazardous materials personnel. No one was injured and the ship was not harmed; the engineer was charged with train wrecking and terrorism . The engineer later cited Qanon and COVID-19 conspiracy theories as the reasons for his attack. Lead ship The lead ship , name ship , or class leader
744-609: The victims of the disaster as part of Operation Unified Assistance , and further care as part of Theater Security Cooperation Program 2005. Combined, she provided over 107,000 patient services, rendered by members of the Department of Defense , Project HOPE , and the United States Public Health Service . Mercy departed San Diego in 2006 as the inaugural deployment of Pacific Partnership , an ongoing Civic Assistance mission designed to "Prepare in Calm to Respond in Crisis". She visited several ports in
775-564: The virus and been removed from the ship for quarantine; 100 other sailors who had contact with them were also removed for quarantine. She arrived back in San Diego on 15 May. This was followed by a seven-month maintenance period during which a flight deck was created between the forecastle and the aftercastle , for two large helicopters, the V-22 Osprey and MH-60 Seahawk . Mercy can also refuel aircraft. On 31 March 2020, while Mercy
806-633: Was USS Pennsylvania , and the Olympic class , whose lead ship was RMS Olympic , or defining a theme by which vessels in the class are named, as in the Royal Navy 's Tribal-class frigates , named after tribes of the world, such as HMS Mohawk . If a ship class is produced for another navy, the first active unit will become the lead ship for that navy; for example, the Oliver Hazard Perry -class frigates are known as
837-453: Was built as a San Clemente -class oil tanker , SS Worth , by National Steel and Shipbuilding Company , San Diego, California, in 1976. Starting in July 1984, she was renamed and converted to a hospital ship by the same company. Launched on 20 July 1985, Mercy was placed in service on 8 November 1986. She has a raised forecastle, a transom stern, a bulbous bow, an extended deckhouse with
868-618: Was deployed to Los Angeles to provide hospital relief in response to COVID-19 . The ship arrived and docked at the Port of Los Angeles cruise ship terminal on 27 March 2020, and departed on May 16. The ship's mission was to treat patients other than those with COVID-19, freeing up land-based hospitals to deal with the virus. The deployment mirrors USNS Comfort 's simultaneous mission to support New York's COVID-19 response . As of 15 April, Mercy had treated 48 patients, of whom 30 had been discharged. Seven crew members have tested positive for
899-750: Was dispatched to the coast of Sumatra to provide support to the Indonesian province of Aceh . It was led by the Abraham Lincoln , with support from the Shiloh , Shoup , Benfold , and Rainier . An Expeditionary Strike Group led by the amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard , scheduled for a port call in Guam , was dispatched to render assistance. A total of 48 Navy and Marine Corps helicopters were involved. Each ship could produce around 90,000 US gallons of fresh water per day. Other ships in
930-470: Was docked, a Pacific Harbor Line freight train was deliberately derailed by its onboard engineer in an attempt to crash into the ship, but the attack was unsuccessful. According to U.S. federal prosecutors , the train's engineer "was suspicious of the Mercy , believing it had an alternate purpose related to COVID-19 or a government takeover". The train came to a stop approximately 750 feet (230 m) from
961-518: Was ordered to activate for Operation Damayan , the relief effort in response to the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan , which struck the Philippines on 7 November 2013. However, Mercy was deactivated before sailing. The US Navy announced that Mercy would be participating in RIMPAC 2014, a large multi-national naval exercise involving ships and personnel from 23 countries. In addition to providing medical and surgical care to personnel injured during