Hospital ship on it's way to Haiti (interview, Marines, military)

[sailordave]

FOX News interviewed a commander from the USNS Comfort this morning. they asked why hadn't the ship gotten underway until today. He said the ship was down for a maintenance period at the time of the earthquake in Haiti. They had to get the ship running, supplies loaded, and medical crews moved on board before they could get underway. Until they arrive, the Navy ships that are already there will do what they can of surgeries and triage. My wife's nephew is on board the USS Carl Vinson. He's a nuclear Machinist Mate. His division's job will be to generate as much clean drinking water as possible.

[Wayland Woman]

Great information. I heard the Canadian hospital ship just left yesterday.

[sailordave]

If a ship is down for a maintenance period, it takes a good bit of time working 24/7 to get it up and running ready to get underway depending on what vital machinery was taken down. It's not a fast moving ship but the other ships already there should be able to continue to take up the slack until it arrives. The other ships do have operating rooms and medical wards. Some of the ships can convert their hangerbay or loading dock areas into a triage with cots, water, and food. I know from experience something else that's going on across our nation's entire military. Last time our military was sent to Haiti, all military service members who spoke the Haitian dialect were sent to the area with the Marines. Two guys from our ship were sent at that time. When they returned, they said they were glad their family managed to escape Haiti and vowed never to return.