San Diego, Calif. (Jan. 3, 2005) – The Military Sealift Command (MSC) hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) prepares to get underway for a one day shakedown cruise prior to deployment to South East Asia to provide assistance to victims of the devastating Tsunami that hit the region last week. Mercy contains 12 fully equipped operating rooms, a 1,000-bed hospital facility, digital radiological services, a diagnostic and clinical laboratory, a pharmacy, an optometry lab, a cat scan and two oxygen-producing plants. The hospital ship is a converted San Clemente-class super tanker. U.S. Navy photo by Geoffrey Patrick