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Hospital ship installs helo pad, hangar (3/28)

The U.S. Military Sealift Command has posted the following article concerning the USNS Mercy, a hospital ship crewed by members of the SIU’s Government Services Division. The release on MSC’s site is located HERE and also includes a photo. Additionally, recent photos of Mercy crew members (and others in San Diego) were posted here on seafarers.org earlier this month at the link HERE USNS Mercy Installing New Helo Pad, Hangar Release Date: 3/27/2006 3:46:00 PM By Photographer’s Mate Airman Damien E. Horvath, Fleet Public Affairs Center, Pacific SAN DIEGO (NNS) – A new temporary helicopter shelter is being installed aboard the San Diego-based hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), to improve mission readiness. Mercy is scheduled to embark on humanitarian assistance missions to Southeast Asia this year, and is seeking a more efficient way of transporting patients and doctors to and from the vessel. The installation of the temporary helicopter shelter, as well as the embarkation of two H-60S helicopters, allows Mercy to work faster and save money, explained Military Sealift Command's (MSC), Michael Keller, the ship’s chief mate. “The main reason for having the helicopters on board is to embark the medical staff - doctors, nurses, corpsmen - and put them on the beach," Keller said. "The addition of assigned helicopters enhances the hospital ship's unique capability by allowing the ship to operate flexibly without support." Keller added that once the Navy staff is on the beach, they can demonstrate various medical procedures at local facilities and ensure future medical successes long after Mercy departs. Mercy last deployed to the South Pacific in support of Operation Unified Assistance, the humanitarian operation in the wake of the tsunami that devastated the region in December 2004. “Mercy helped nearly 108,000 people,” stated Keller. “Anything we can do to better prepare ourselves for an upcoming deployment is certainly a worthwhile project." Mercy is one of two hospital ships in the Navy. Her sister ship, USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) is berthed in Baltimore. ###