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USNS Mercy to Return from Pacific Partnership

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS100920-13
9/20/2010

From U.S. 3rd Fleet Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- U.S. Navy hospital ship, USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) will arrive in San Diego Sept. 21 from its deployment in support of Pacific Partnership 2010 (PP10).

The Military Sealift Command hospital ship Mercy, operated by a crew of 65 civilian mariners visited four of the six PP10 countries. Mercy provided extensive surgical capabilities and, combined with her "Band-Aid" utility boats and two embarked MH-60S helicopters from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23 Detachment 4, supported a large cadre of medical and engineering professionals moving to and from work sites ashore.

Combined, the PP10 team – made up of professionals from all four U.S. military services, 10 partner nations, seven embarked non-government organizations (NGOs), and 10 supporting NGOs – treated 109,754 patients, performed 859 surgeries, issued 60,883 glasses, completed 22 engineering projects, participated in 86 community service projects (COMSERV), and treated more than 2,800 veterinary patients.

Pacific Partnership enhanced relationships through medical, dental and engineering outreach projects reinforcing the mutually supporting roles between participants. Mercy as the lead vessel visited Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and Timor-Leste. Two additional visits were made to Palau and Papua New Guinea by other Navy ships as part of PP10.

This year's effort saw an increase in the number of ships from other countries participating, a larger number of NGO volunteers, and the use of helicopters and landing craft to insert healthcare clinics in remote locations with medical and dental teams - a key priority for several of the U.S. Ambassadors involved with the mission. Additionally, PP10 greatly expanded the scope of engineering projects by using advance fly-in teams of U.S. Navy Seabees.

Pacific Partnership 2010 was lead by three different element commanders: Capt. Lisa Franchetti, commander for the overall Pacific Partnership mission and commodore of Destroyer Squadron 21; Merchant Marine Capt. David Bradshaw, Mercy's master; and Capt. Jeffery Paulson, commander of the military treatment facility responsible for providing care aboard Mercy and on shore.

Pacific Partnership conducts humanitarian and civic assistance by working with and through host and partner nations, NGOs and other U.S. government agencies. In addition to providing humanitarian assistance, Pacific Partnership provided valuable experiences from Host Nation military and civilian experts. This experience ensures the U.S. military is able to rapidly respond with appropriate emergency relief support when requested by host nation leadership.

For more information, visit http://www.cpf.navy.mil/subsite/PP10/.