USNS Mercy Arrives in Los Angeles

Photo By Chief Petty Officer David Mora | 200327-N-UV609-1087 LOS ANGELES (March 27, 2020) -- Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) arrives in Los Angeles March 27. The hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) deployed in support of the nation’s COVID-19 response efforts, and will serve as a referral hospital for non-COVID-19 patients currently admitted to shore-based hospitals. This allows shore base hospitals to focus their efforts on COVID-19 cases. One of the Department of Defense’s missions is Defense Support of Civil Authorities. DoD is supporting the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the lead federal agency, as well as state, local and public health authorities in helping protect the health and safety of the American people. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class David Mora Jr.)  

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES

03.27.2020

Courtesy Story

Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet           

SAN DIEGO – Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) arrived in Los Angeles, March 27 to support the nation’s COVID-19 response efforts.

“The men and women of the USNS Mercy and the United States Navy are honored to be here in Los Angeles supporting FEMA, the state of California, the county and the city in their ongoing COVID-19 relief efforts,” said Rear Adm. John E. Gumbleton, commander, Expeditionary Strike Group Three.​

While in Los Angeles, the ship will serve as a referral hospital for non-COVID-19 patients currently admitted to shore-based hospitals, and will provide a full spectrum of medical care to include general surgeries, critical care and ward care for adults. This will allow local health professionals to focus on treating COVID-19 patients and for shore-based hospitals to use their Intensive Care Units and ventilators for those patients.

Mercy is a seagoing medical treatment facility that currently has personnel embarked for the Los Angeles mission, including Navy medical and support staff assembled from 22 commands, as well as over 70 civil service mariners.

Mercy’s primary mission is to provide an afloat, mobile, acute surgical medical facility to the U.S. military that is flexible, capable, and uniquely adaptable to support expeditionary
warfare. Mercy's secondary mission is to provide full hospital services to support U.S. disaster relief and humanitarian operations worldwide.

U.S. 3rd Fleet leads naval forces in the Indo-Pacific and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy. U.S. 3rd Fleet works in close coordination with U.S. 7th Fleet to provide commanders with capable, ready assets across the spectrum of military operations in the Indo-Pacific.

For more news from Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/local/c3f/.

• Date Taken: 03.27.2020
• Date Posted: 03.27.2020 12:18
• Story ID: 366033
• Location: SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US