GOV/MIL Lawmakers criticize Navy’s plan to retire one of two hospital ships

[Housecarl]

For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
https://www.navytimes.com/news/your...tm_term=Editorial - Navy - Daily News Roundup

Lawmakers criticize Navy’s plan to retire one of two hospital ships

By: Nicole Bauke  
10 hours ago

In a Transportation Command hearing on March 8, lawmakers criticized the Navy’s plan to retire one of its two hospital ships, either the Mercy or the Comfort, in the 2019 fiscal year budget proposal.

The pressure on the Navy to pass a budget has required making tough decisions about which services it can continue to support, according to Air Force Gen. Darren McDew, commander of the U.S. Transportation Command.

“I’m a big fan of hospital ships, because I love the fact that we can help injured and ill members,” said McDew. “But I’ll tell you, for every one hospital ship we’re short, we’re going to have a requirement for 479 air-refueling tankers.”

Lawmakers pushed back on the proposal, citing hospital ships as an important source for domestic and international humanitarian aid during times of mass casualty.

“United States Navy Hospital Ship Comfort deployed to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi in 2005 to respond to Katrina,” said Rep. Trent Kelly, of Mississippi. “In 12 days, the medical crew there provided care and medical treatment that was sorely needed by the residents in my state, and the emergency workers in Mississippi and Louisiana.”

Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia also called the decision a “strategic mistake” that lessens U.S. soft power around the world, and instead called for more ships to be built.

“I was recently in Djibouti and noticed that the Chinese actually had a hospital ship in port over there, and they’re delivering services,” said Scott. “For the U.S. to pull back on that soft power side, I think it’s just a — I think it’s a strategic mistake for us.

According to Kelly, there is also a national security requirement for two ships to respond to mass casualties.

“If the requirement is two, we have to have two or either we have to be screaming loudly,” said Kelly. “We have an obligation to our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, and also the civilians across this world…Because there will come a time when we need that and we need to always be ready.”

 

[Old Gray Mare]

The USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) was launched back on February 1, 1976.* This vessel has done it's share. Replace the old girl with a newer version that hasn't been batter and corroded by 40 years of high seas and salt water. Congress should authorize the money for a new vessel instead of criticizing the Navy for doing it's job. Send a few of those Congress critters out on her in rough water to service a third world country that's just been hit by a natural disaster and see how quick the money is appropriated.

The OP was from The Navy Times. I'm surprised they didn't mention the age of the vessel.

*source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USNS_Comfort_(T-AH-20)

 

[Switchback]

Will make a nice prison ship.

 

[Illini Warrior]

the problem is that it's support and not a fighting craft - and it hasn't REALLY been used to it's full extent in decades and decades ... if one of the Desert Storms would have been more of a grind this wouldn't even be a subject of conversation ....

 

[Meadowlark]

The problem is that when you need it, you need it bad.

 

[bobby.knight]

I was on the USS Repose in 1970 while it was docked in Japan in 1970. I was to meet the ship there. It then was ordered back to Long Beach and I was sent to Guam.

 

[Shacknasty Shagrat]

The problem is that when you need it, you need it bad.

Indeed!! And the US Navy of today, needs many things, the greatest need is for ethics and competence in command.
They are the same fools who built a ship and a super gun, and then found out the ammo was way, way too expensive.
SS

 

[Publius]

Best thing to do is pick the one that needs service and have it dry-docked in a location all its own and give a good go over and then restocked and closed up and allowed to sit on dry-dock (out of water) until its needed.

 

[Illini Warrior]

Best thing to do is pick the one that needs service and have it dry-docked in a location all its own and give a good go over and then restocked and closed up and allowed to sit on dry-dock (out of water) until its needed.

I agree it should be mothballed instead of scraping it - but unless the need was a long term major conflict - the timetable for pulling it out and getting it re-equipped wouldn't allow for anything else .... you could take a standard cruise ship and convert - and that would take a crap load of time ....

with all the tension with North Korea - Russia - Middle East .... who is that confident that this hospital ship won't be needed in the next couple of years?

 

[Zahra]

Make Rep. Kelly happy by offering to transfer one of the ships to the US Coast Guard where it could serve domestic needs in time of crisis (and the expense would then be off the Navy). The ship could always be requisitioned back in time of conflict.

 

[Delta]

I figured we flew injured back to the states. Is a hospital ship really useful/safe in this day and age? I'd think it a great target for terrorists.

 

[Dosadi]

I was medevaced to Mercy and would be dead without it having been handy.

Sure hate to see it gone before and unless replacements are already available.

 

[Old Gray Mare]

Make Rep. Kelly happy by offering to transfer one of the ships to the US Coast Guard where it could serve domestic needs in time of crisis (and the expense would then be off the Navy). The ship could always be requisitioned back in time of conflict.

Good idea!

I was medevaced to Mercy and would be dead without it having been handy.

Sure hate to see it gone before and unless replacements are already available.

THIS ^^^^^

 

[summerthyme]

Make Rep. Kelly happy by offering to transfer one of the ships to the US Coast Guard where it could serve domestic needs in time of crisis (and the expense would then be off the Navy). The ship could always be requisitioned back in time of conflict.

I was also thinking that one needed to simply be "reassigned ", especially given this statement:

Lawmakers pushed back on the proposal, citing hospital ships as an important source for domestic and international humanitarian aid during times of mass casualty.

NONE of those missions are primary or even secondary missions of the Navy, and should NOT come out of their budget.

Summerthyme

 

[Old Gray Mare]

I was also thinking that one needed to simply be "reassigned ", especially given this statement:



NONE of those missions are primary or even secondary missions of the Navy, and should NOT come out of their budget.

Summerthyme

But it is easier to justify the funding to the crunchy granola.

 

[Ractivist]

Find a useful location to dry dock it, but keep it running as a hospital, capable of returning to service within a weeks time.....incremental rehab going on to keep it worthy.

 

[TerryK]

Make Rep. Kelly happy by offering to transfer one of the ships to the US Coast Guard where it could serve domestic needs in time of crisis (and the expense would then be off the Navy). The ship could always be requisitioned back in time of conflict.

Excellent idea. As someone else said, the hospital ships are one of the greatest tools we have to demonstrate "soft power" and get good PR in times of disaster. The case of the Chinese having a hospital ship in Djibouti is a case in point. The Chinese don't spend a dime unless they expect to get something back for their effort.
The Coast Guard is considered a military service even though not under DOD, because, during times of war or conflict, the President of the United States can transfer any or all assets of the Coast Guard to the Department of the Navy. In fact, this has been done in almost every single conflict that the United States have ever been involved in. The Coast Guard is commanded by a 4-star admiral, known as the Coast Guard Commandant..

I'd like to see the US cut UN humanitarian aid, and instead spend that money in US flagged aid, delivered by US personnel, with US flag prominently displayed, directly to people who need it. No more letting the UN take the credit for goods and money which really comes from the US.
Let the money we would normal give to UN aid efforts be used to operate the hospital ships and put them in continuous service around the world.

 

[SAPPHIRE]

another stupid idea..........yes, mothball and refurbish, etc. but not demolish..........in case of massive need bandaids won't do