CENTCOM, Component Planners, and Staff Take an In-depth Look Inside of USNS Comfort’s Massive Medical and Dental Capabilities

By LaShawn Sykes, USN Military Sealift Command

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command’s (NAVCENT) Fifth Fleet Surgeon CDR Megan Potter, in partnership with Military Sealift Command’s (MSC) Force Medical Deputy James Herbst, and USNS Comfort’s (T-AH 20) Executive Officer Capt. Charles Dickerson, hosted U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) component medical planners, Defense Health Agency (DHA) planners, and Naval Health Research Center analysts aboard Medical Training Facility (MTF) hospital ship USNS Comfort while the vessel was pier-side at Naval Station Norfolk, July 10.

In addition to Potter, the other 14 distinguished guests included CENTCOM’s CDR Coleman C. Chandler and James K. Sjovall; U.S. Air Forces Central Command’s (AFCENT) LtCol Jerry M. Earl and TSgt. Mark A. Brown; U.S. Army Central Command’s (ARCENT) Maj. Megan E. Morgan; U.S. Marine Corps Forces Central Command’s (MARCENT) LCDR Neal C. Goebel; U.S. Special Operations Command Central’s (SOCCENT) LtCol Matthew J. Gross; U.S. Transportation Command’s LTC Nina M. Linnehan; DHA’s Maj. Carl Calimlim, Courtney Tyus, Jimmy Bullock, and Christopher W. Richards; and Navy Health Research Center Analysts LT Kenneth Marler and Sean Wilkinson.

This first ever four-hour joint site visit was a detailed examination and evaluation to determine how well USNS Comfort’s dental and medical capabilities can be synchronized with CENTCOM’s joint operational planning efforts, Potter said. “This ship visit was critical to first validate joint planning assumptions and then second to determine how to best integrate medical modeling and simulation efforts in order to build a better health system that is more resilient, patient-centered, and sustainable. Healthcare and health service support are important strategic enablers, and the USNS Comfort is a truly unique capability in providing scalable, afloat surgical care.”

During the ship visit, the distinguished guests received a tour of the hospital ship’s spaces, interacted with MTF Sailors, and received a brief on the ship’s missions to provide an afloat surgical trauma center to major combat operations deployed forward and to provide urgent disaster response – acute care to large scale U.S. disaster relief and humanitarian operations around the world.

I was amazed by what I learned on this ship visit, Chandler said. “Before touring USNS Comfort, I knew from reading about the hospital ship that it had a rich storied history that has a direct tie to the CENTCOM Theater. But, after reading about it and then viewing its distinctive capability sets, seeing it physically doesn’t compare. While this maritime asset was converted from a San Clemente supertanker to a 1,000-bed hospital ship in the 1980s, today, the T-AH presents a theater commander with a unique and strategic ability to provide robust medical options across the continuum of operations during peacetime and in a crisis.”

Echoing Chandler’s sentiments, Potter said, the visit did more than just meet CENTCOM’s expectations, it exceeded them. “This visit directly improved interoperability efforts and furthered efforts to leverage cutting-edge technology, partnerships, and military exercises to integrate current and future Expeditionary Medical Platforms (EXMEDS) in support of distributed maritime operations.”

Potter is correct, Chandler said. “Being on board

USNS Comfort dramatically improved the CENTCOM team's knowledge of the hospital ship’s capabilities. The knowledge gained will be extremely useful in developing future health service support options for both current and future contingencies and exercises.”

USNS Comfort is one of two Mercy-class hospital ships currently serving in MSC’s inventory. Hospital ships provide an afloat, mobile, acute surgical medical facility for the U.S. military which is flexible, capable and uniquely adapted to support expeditionary warfare and humanitarian relief efforts.

In 2022, USNS Comfort deployed to Latin America and the Caribbean to provide medical assistance in support of Continuing Promise 2022. Continuing Promise 2022 marked the 12th mission to the region since 2007 and the eighth mission involving USNS Comfort. The operations fostered goodwill, strengthened existing partnerships with partner nations, and encouraged the establishment of new partnerships among countries, non-government organizations, and international organizations.

To learn more about Military Sealift Command visit: https://sealiftcommand.com/