The USNS Mercy is big — 894 feet in length, with 1,000 beds. It has a flight deck that’s suitable for helicopter use. Its home port is San Diego. The primary mission of the Mercy, according to the ship’s Web site is: “To provide rapid, flexible, and mobile acute 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.” Its secondary mission in part, the part that applies to Russell’s mission, is “to provide mobile surgical hospital service for use by appropriate U.S. Government agencies in disaster or humanitarian relief or limited humanitarian care incident to these missions or peacetime military operations.” The ship’s name clearly is no accident.
Russell prepares for surgery during his mission in Papua New Guinea.
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