File:US Navy 060603-N-9076B-117 Crew members assigned to the Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Two Five (HSC-250, prepare to embark patients to be taken out to the U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC) Hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19).jpg

English: Jolo, Philippines (June 03, 2006) - Crew members assigned to the Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Two Five (HSC-250, prepare to embark patients to be taken out to the U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC) Hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19). 20 Jolo residents were admitted to the ship for surgeries varying from goiter removal to fixing cleft palates. Mercy has already visited Zamboanga, Philippines, where its crew had treated several thousand patients. The ship is on a five-month deployment to South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. Mercy's medical crew will provide general and ophthalmology surgery, basic medical evaluation and treatment, preventive medicine treatment, dental screenings and treatment, optometry screenings, eyewear distribution, public health training and veterinary services as requested by the host nations. 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 non-governmental organizations that have significant medical capabilities. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Photographer's Mate Don Bray (RELEASED)