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The Hospital Ships: The Most Unique, Navy and Publicized MSC Vessels
An assignment to one of the hospital ships is a rare and unique experience. The USNS Comfort and the USNS Mercy are operated with a hybrid MSC and Navy crew and desired for their high pay, one-of-a-kind mission and exotic ports. These vessels are considered National Level Assets and receive lots of media attention anytime they are activated. Continue reading to learn more about their characteristics and mission set.
Characteristics:
The USNS Comfort and the USNS Mercy have fascinating origins. Initially, they served as San Clemente class commercial oil tankers. However, in 1984, a significant transformation project began, converting the SS Worth into the hospital ship we now know as the USNS Mercy. Commissioned in 1986, the USNS Mercy was followed by the delivery of the USNS Comfort to MSC in 1987.
The T-AH class vessels stand as the largest ships in the MSC GOGO (government-owned, government-operated) fleet and boast remarkable capacities. However, their routine missions seldom require them to utilize their full medical capabilities. Once aboard these vessels, it is obvious to see that they were retrofitted and not purpose built as not all design layouts make perfect sense. Despite their near-identical nature, both ships show signs of aging, and the Mercy is in slightly better working condition.
Image From https://www.freightwaves.com/news/maritime-history-notes-americas-hospital-ships
Vessel Characteristics:
Length: 894 Feet
Beam: 106 Feet
Propulsion System: Two Foster Wheeler Steam Generating Boilers with GE Turbines
Age of Fleet: Mercy: Original keel was laid in 1974 and then began service with the Navy in 1986. Comfort: Original keel was laid in 1975 and then began service with the Navy in 1987.
Medical Characteristics- Slight Variations between the 2 Ships:
Patient Wards: 15
Hospital Beds: 1,000
Intensive Care Beds: 80
Operating Suites: 11
Radiology Suites: One
Blood Bank Capacity: 5,000 Units
Crew Size:
The hospital ships have two manning scales, Full Operating Status (FOS) and Reduced Operating Status (ROS). The manning scales are drastically different. On board, the MSC crew is referred to as HULL and the medical personal and a part of the Medical Treatment Facility (MTF). Due to the cyclical nature of the vessel and its pre-determined ROS, it is a difficult ship to homestead on. Most of the crew will be sent on leave or to other ships upon completion of the mission.
Reduced Operating Status:
ROS MSC Crew: 15
ROS Navy Crew: 50
Full Operating Status:
MSC Crew: 70
FOS Navy Personnel and Other Agencies/Organizations: 900-1100
Mission: Medicine and Showing the Flag, Well, the Big Red Cross
Beyond their scheduled missions, the hospital ships can be activated at the discretion of the President in time of crisis like the COVID pandemic. During the pandemic, the Comfort was sent to New York City and the Mercy was sent to Los Angeles to provide additional medical capacity to the city’s hospitals. While they were not heavily utilized and eventually returned to their homeports, this situation highlighted the mission set of the T-AH class vessel.
Image From: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/30/iconic-photos-of-the-usns-comfort-arriving-in-new-york-provides-a-glimmer-of-hope.html
On scheduled deployments like Continuing Promise (CP) and Pacific Partnership (PP), the hospital ships are utilized to provide disaster relief, develop relationships with host nations/allies, offer free medical aid and partake in charity/volunteer events. Keep in mind, regardless of the vessels Navy mission, MSC’s role remains focused on the vessel’s physical care and operation. On mission, MSC acts as an Uber driver, ferrying the medical teams to the various mission stops over the course of the deployment while maintaining the vessel.
On the CP and PP missions, most of the medical events are not held on the vessel. Medical sites are set up by an advance team and the medical providers depart the vessel to care for patients. The ship is used as a warehouse to move medical supplies and personnel around throughout the mission. The main aspects of the mission that take place on board are surgeries, which provide the most value to the patients the ships treat.
Additionally, the ships are an arm of American diplomacy. The ships, symbolizing American goodwill, gain national attention with their iconic big red crosses. Each port visit creates many photo opportunities and high-level dignitaries routinely tour the vessel. There will probably be as many photos taken as patients treated.
What to Read Next
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