• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

USNS Mercy Departs Darwin to Continue Pacific Partnership Deployment

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080731-19
Release Date: 7/31/2008 4:30:00 PM

By Pacific Partnership Public Affairs

DARWIN, Australia (NNS) -- The naval hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) departed Darwin July 31 after a four-day port visit to allow the crew to rest before continuing on with the humanitarian civic assistance (HCA) mission, Pacific Partnership 2008.

The port visit afforded the Mercy crew time to rest, re-energize and experience the cultural hub of Darwin in northern Australia.

Prior to arriving in Darwin, Mercy visited three Pacific Partnership mission sites: the Republic of the Philippines, Vietnam and Timor-Leste. The next phase of the mission has Mercy visiting Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea and the Federated States of Micronesia.

This humanitarian mission brings together a multinational military medical and construction team working with non-governmental organizations to provide medical, dental, construction and other humanitarian assistance ashore and afloat in Southeast Asia and Oceania.

Pacific Partnership 2008 serves a dual role of bringing HCA to various mission sites throughout Southeast Asia and Oceana, as well as strengthening and building relations between the U.S. and partner nations throughout the Western Pacific region. The four-month deployment will strengthen the goodwill developed during previous HCA missions, such as the 2004 tsunami relief efforts, Mercy's 2006 deployment and last year's USS Peleliu (LHA 5) Pacific Partnership.

The humanitarian mission is commanded by Capt. William A. Kearns III, commander, Destroyer Squadron 31. The ship's master is Robert T. Wiley. The commanding officer of the Mercy Military Treatment Facility is Capt. James P. Rice.

For more news from Pacific Partnership 2008, visit www.navy.mil/local/PP08/.