Faces of Freedom ~ USNS Mercy

07/18/2008 - The Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) sits anchored off the coast of Dili, Timor Leste, July 18, 2008. Mercy is deployed in support of Pacific Partnership 2008, a humanitarian assistance mission to Southeast Asia that includes specialized medical care and various construction and engineering projects. DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joseph Seavey, U.S. Navy. (Released)

The USNS Mercy is a hospital ship in the US Navy. It's primary mission is to provide acute medical and surgical services to support our military forces ashore and afloat. The secondary mission is to provide disaster and humanitarian relief and care.

Currently, the Mercy is involved in Pacific Partnership 2008, partnering with Operation Smile, Project Hope, Timor Red Cross, Australian Aid International and others. About half way through a four month mission, it has visited the Philippines, Vietnam, Timor-Leste, and is heading to Papua New Guinea and Federated States of Micronesia. And, the medical staff has seen more thatn 41,000 patients and provided dental services to nearly 9,000. They have performed more than 600 surgeries and provided veterinarian care to more than 4,000 animals. In addition, the biomedical repair technicians have fixed medical equipment in the hospitals they have visited. The engineers and SeaBees aboard have done construction projects ashore.

Navy Capt. James Rice, commander of the military treatment facility aboard Mercy, said "One of the most important aspects of the Pacific Partnership is the long-term commitment to work with each of the nations and to make sure that the friendships and the relationships we build are long-lasting ones." He added, "This is just something that gets to the core of why we went in to our professions in the first place."

To read more about the USNS Comfort, visit her webiste at: http://www.mercy.navy.mil/index.htm

To hear Capt Rice interviewed about the current mission, visit this link at Blog Talk Radio: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/stations/PentagonRadioNetwork/Dot-Mil-Docs/2008/07/17/Mercy-Mission-Afloat

Much gratitude to the men and women who work on the USNS Mercy and who are providing services aroung the Pacific for people who need our assistance.

PS - Attention Mr Obama - Did you know our military did this?