June 2003

USNS Comfort In Operation Iraqi Freedom

Ship's Mission:

To provide a mobile, flexible and rapidly responsive afloat medical capability for acute medical and surgical care in support of amphibious task forces, Marine Corps, Army and Air Force elements, forward deployed Navy elements of the fleet and fleet activities in the Central Command area of operations.

Ship's Timeline:

• Ordered to activate: Dec. 26, 2002
• Sailed from Baltimore: Jan. 6, 2003
• Arrived at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean: Feb. 3, 2003
• Sailed from Diego Garcia: Feb. 27, 2003
• Arrived in the Persian Gulf: March 4, 2003
• Sailed from the Persian Gulf: May 10, 2003

Time on Station in the Persian Gulf: 56 days

Accomplishments of embarked Medical Treatment Facility:

• Iraqi enemy prisoners of war and civilians treated: 196
• Inpatients treated: 330
• Outpatients treated: 300
• Surgeries performed: 590
• Radiographic images exposed: 8,500
• Units of blood transfused: 600
• Angiograms performed: 65
• CT scans conducted: 220
• Helicopter landings: 898 (495 for personnel; 403 for cargo)

Embarked Personnel while in the Persian Gulf:

• Ship's crew: 58 civil service mariners from Navy's Military Sealift Command
• 1,115 U.S. military personnel, including:
  • 1,075 Medical Treatment Facility medical and support staff mostly from National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md.
  • 15-person U.S. Navy Master at Arms security team
  • 15-person U.S. Army military police enemy prisoner of war security team
  • Five-person U.S. Army EPW processing team
  • Two-person U.S. Air Force aeromedical regulating team
  • Two U.S. Marine Corps medical liaisons
  • One U.S. Army medical liaison