Editing Mercy-class hospital ship (section)

== Missions ==
Stationed in [[San Diego]], California, ''Mercy'' primarily operates in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Her inaugural mission in 1987, was a humanitarian cruise to the Philippines and South Pacific. Her first military mission was serving coalition troops in the [[Gulf War|First Gulf War]]. The first disaster relief came in the wake of the 2004 [[tsunami]] as [[Operation Unified Assistance]].  Her latest was in 2013, when she came to the aid of the Philippines, and other nations in the aftermath of [[Typhoon Haiyan]].

Stationed out of [[Norfolk, Virginia|Norfolk]], Virginia, ''Comfort'' operates primarily in the Caribbean and Latin America. Her first mission was a combat one: serving coalition troops off the coast of Kuwait, during [[Operation Desert Storm]]. Her first humanitarian missions both happened in 1994, helping Haitian and Cuban immigrants looking to come to America. In the aftermath of [[September 11 attacks]], ''Comfort'' was activated and sent to [[Manhattan]], to provide medical and mental health services. ''Comfort'' headed into combat again for [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]]. In 2005, she was back saving American citizens following the devastation of [[Hurricane Katrina]].  In 2010, she undertook another disaster relief mission, in response to an earthquake in Haiti.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.navy.com/about/equipment/vessels/hospital-ships.html|title=Navy Hospital Ships- USNS Mercy & USNS Comfort | publisher = Navy |access-date= 2016-09-29}}</ref> In May 2015, ''Comfort'' was in [[Kingston, Jamaica]].<ref>{{Cite news|url= http://jis.gov.jm/united-states-naval-ship-comfort-mercy-class-hospital-ship-provides-medical-services-may-2015-visit-jamaica/|title=United States Naval Ship Comfort, a Mercy-class hospital ship, Provides Medical Services during its May 2015 visit to Jamaica |date=2015-05-22|newspaper=Jamaica Information Service|language=en-US|access-date=2016-10-27}}</ref> Once again in 2017, ''Comfort'' was deployed to aid American citizens in Puerto Rico after [[Hurricane Maria]].<ref>{{Cite news | work = CBS News |url= https://www.cbsnews.com/news/usns-comfort-departs-for-puerto-rico |title= USNS Comfort leaves for Puerto Rico|access-date=2017-10-12}}</ref>

In March 2020, the ships were deployed to aid in the fight against the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|coronavirus pandemic]]. Both ships were to function as [[trauma center]]s at erstwhile-disused [[cruise ship]] terminals in [[San Pedro, Los Angeles|San Pedro]] and Manhattan. This, at that time, would have been expected to have enabled nearby hospitals to have freed up beds for coronavirus patients.<ref>{{cite web
 | url =https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/coronavirus/coronavirus-covid-19-navy-hospital-ship-mercy-los-angeles-california/2336306/
 | title =Navy Ship Mercy Arrives in the Port of LA to Help Hospitals Strained by Coronavirus
 | date =27 March 2020
 | website =NBC Los Angeles
 | access-date =29 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
 | url =https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/70-000-ton-message-hope-trump-sees-navy-hospital-ship-n1171256
 | title ='70,000-ton message of hope': Trump sees off Navy hospital ship as it heads for NYC
 | date =28 March 2020
 | website =NBC News
 | access-date =29 March 2020}}</ref> On 21 April, Governor Cuomo told President Trump that ''Comfort'' was no longer needed in New York. While docked in the city, she treated 182 patients.<ref>{{cite web
 | url =https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/coronavirus/cuomo-tells-trump-usns-comfort-no-longer-needed-in-nyc/2384637/
 | title =Gov. Cuomo Tells Trump USNS Comfort No Longer Needed in NYC
 | date =22 April 2020
 | website =NBC New York
 | access-date =24 April 2020 }}</ref>