Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Union-Crewed Hospital Ship Sets Sail on Humanitarian Mission

Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.

The hospital ship USNS Mercy left San Diego on May 3 to join the Navy’s Pacific Partnership 2022 (PP22) mission with international partners. Members of the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association (MEBA), Masters, Mates & Pilots (MM&P) and Seafarers (SIU) work as civilian mariners aboard the vessel.

The Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific region. The PP22 team will work with host nations and regional partners to provide medical care and exchange information related to disaster response throughout Oceania and the Western Pacific.