USNS Mercy Hospital Ship Activated to Support Philippine Typhoon Victims

The United States Military has activated their world famous Navy Hospital Ship for a possible deployment to the Philippines this coming December 2013 to help the international efforts headed by the United States on the typhoon-ravaged central provinces of the Philippines.

USNS Mercy

USNS Mercy (US Pacific Fleet Photo)

The USNS Mercy will take three weeks to reach the Philippines from San Diego, it will stop first in Hawaii to pick up additional personnel and equipment, as announced by a U.S. Military spokesman on Wednesday.

According to Admiral Harry B. Harris Jr., commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, he directed the activation of the hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH19) on November 13 to be ready to support the ongoing disaster relief efforts in the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan or Typhoon Yolanda as its local name.

The USNS Mercy will join the U.S. Pacific Fleet units that is already supporting the Philippine typhoon victims. On November 11, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel ordered the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) and her escort ships make best possible speed to reach the Philippines.

The US aircraft carrier together with USS Antietam (CG 54), USS Cowpens (CG 63) and USNS Yukon (T-AO-202) will arrive off the coast of the Philippines on November 14 local time. US Ships that are already in the Philippines are destroyers USNS Mustin and USS L(–foul word(s) removed–)en who have already started their relief and rescue operations.

The USNS Mercy on their part as a Hospital Ship has a capacity to treat hundreds of patients at any given time, it will bring enormous capability efforts to help treat the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in what is expected to be a long recovery for the Filipino people affected.

The United States estimates that military personnel on the ground in the Philippines could triple to more than a thousand in a week, from just over 300 now. Other US vessels that will help the US efforts.

Other U.S. vessels, including the amphibious ships USS Ashland and USS Germantown, are expected to arrive in the Philippines in about a week, it added.

The number of U.S. military personnel on the ground could also triple to more than a thousand in a week, from just over 300 now, one U.S. official estimated, speaking on condition of anonymity.

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