HISTORY
The
USNS Mercy (T-AH-19) is the lead ship of her class of hospital ships
in the United States Navy. Her sister ship is the USNS Comfort
(T-AH-20). She was named for the virtue of compassion. In accordance
with the Geneva Conventions, USNS Mercy and her crew do not carry
any offensive weapons, though defensive weapons are available.
Firing on the Mercy would be considered a war crime.
Mercy was built as an oil tanker, SS Worth, by National Steel and
Shipbuilding Company, San Diego, in 1976. Starting in July 1984, she
was renamed and converted to a hospital ship by the same company.
Launched on 20 July 1985, USNS Mercy was commissioned on 8 November
1986. She has a raised forecastle, a transom stern, a bulbous bow,
an extended deckhouse with a forward bridge, and a
helicopter-landing deck with a flight control facility. The Mercy
class hospital ships are the third largest ships in the U.S. Navy
Fleet by length, surpassed only by the nuclear-powered Ford-class
and Nimitz-class supercarriers.
Her primary mission is to provide rapid, flexible, and mobile acute
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 or humanitarian
relief or limited humanitarian care incident to these missions or
peacetime military operations.
USNS Mercy, homeported in San Diego, 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 highest only to shore based fixed facilities
outside of 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. However,
the "Medical Treatment Facility", or hospital on the ship, is
commanded by a Captain of the Navy Medical Corps or Navy Nurse
Corps.
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