Patients are discharged from the Medical Treatment Facility aboard the USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), before the ship gets underway.

Tawi Tawi, Philippines (Jun. 17, 2006) Patients are discharged from the Medical Treatment Facility aboard the USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), before the ship gets underway. The ship has just completed three weeks of a scheduled humanitarian mission to the Philippines. Mercy is on a scheduled five-month deployment to host nations in the Pacific Islands, and South and Southeast Asia. Mercy is uniquely capable of supporting medical and humanitarian assistance needs and is configured with special medical equipment and a robust multi-specialized medical team that can provide a range of services ashore as well as aboard the ship. The medical staff is augmented with an assistance crew, many of whom are part of nongovernmental organizations, foreign militaries and other branches of the U.S. military that have significant medical capabilities. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Photographer's Mate Don Bray File# 060617-N-9076B-228