USNS Comfort scheduled to depart Baltimore for Haiti tomorrow.

[Stinky The Clown]

The Comfort is not manned and ready for sea. She is, instead, kept in a state of "reduced readiness", requiring that she could put to sea within five days of being so ordered. She has two crews, much like an aircraft carrier. One crew is the ship's company. These are the people who operate and sail the ship. Then there is the medical company. These are mostly reservists who practice medicine in the civilian world. It takes time to get this entire compliment to the ship and ready to go.

That go date for the mission to Haiti is tomorrow.



From the opening of her Wiki page:

USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) is the third United States Navy ship to bear the name Comfort, and the second Mercy Class Hospital Ship to join the navy fleet. In accordance with the Geneva Conventions, USNS Comfort and her crew do not carry any ordnance and firing on the Comfort is considered a war crime.

Like her sister ship USNS Mercy (T-AH-19), Comfort was built as an oil tanker in 1976 by the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company. Her original name was SS Rose City and she was launched from San Diego, California.

Her career as an oil tanker ended when she was delivered to the Navy on December 1, 1987. Now, as a hospital ship, Comfort's new duties include providing emergency, on-site care for U.S. combatant forces deployed in war or other operations. Operated by the Military Sealift Command, Comfort provides rapid, flexible, and mobile 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.

When not actively deployed, Comfort is kept in a state of reduced operations in Baltimore harbor. She has been used many times over the years and has been ready to ship out of Baltimore with 5 days' notice.

>snip<

More here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USNS_Comfort_(T-AH-20)

[MineralMan]

1. It will be of great help in Haiti. It has done yeoman's service

many times, and will be a boon.

[alsame]

2. K&R.

[Sinistrous]

3. I was privileged to tour the USS Comfort a few years ago.

It is an amazing facility. I have forgotten most of the statistics, but I remember that , when fully staffed), it is equivalent to a 900 bed hospital.

Edit: spelling.

[Gregorian]

4. Rarely do I say anything positive about our military. I feel pride right now.

Use our military for help. For good.

This world could be so much kinder.


Hey, thanks for posting these. I like feeling this way.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. Local Baltimore News Update about the prep to get underway tomorrow morning

Comfort will be the US's center of humanitarian aid in Haiti

http://wjz.com/local/haiti.usns.comfort.2.1430092.html

Hundreds Prepare For USNS Comfort Mission To Haiti

A big part of the humanitarian mission in Haiti following the massive earthquake will be carried out by the hospital ship Comfort.

Alex DeMetrick reports the Navy says the USNS Comfort will leave Baltimore for earthquake-stricken Haiti early Saturday morning.

Friday night was a very busy night for those getting ready for the voyage. Hundreds of people and tons of cargo raced towards a Saturday morning departure.

As the sun set, the pace picked-up as all of the components to put a hospital ship to sea, came together.

Tons of food and medical supplies were trucked in and hauled up. 550-sailors, doctors, nurses and support staff bussed in.

Once in Haiti, it will be the largest mass casualty mission the Comfort has ever taken on.

>snip<

A quick but interesting read.

[blondeatlast]

6. Just as I clicked on this, Ray Charles' "America the Beautiful" popped into my head.

I love it when I can be unreservedly proud of my country. What a beautiful thing. :patriot: