Keywords: US Navy 060702-N-9076B-060 U.S. Navy Lt.j.g. Cathrine Soteras of Long Beach, Calif., helps Operation Smile nurse Jhen Valdez with a small child in a recovery room on board the U.S. Naval hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19).jpg en Chittagong Bangladesh July 2 2006 U S Navy Lt j g Cathrine Soteras of Long Beach Calif helps Operation Smile nurse Jhen Valdez with a small child in a recovery room on board the U S Naval hospital ship USNS Mercy T-AH 19 The boy is resting after cleft lip surgery from Operation Smile doctors who are working with Mercy personnel on the ship and at the local hospital The ship is in the third month of a scheduled five-month deployment to host nations in the Pacific Islands and South and Southeast Asia having recently completed 24 days of humanitarian assistance to the people of the southern Philippines 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 Mercy s mission is being carried out in conjunction with nongovernmental organizations and in close coordination and partnership with local medical care professionals Volunteers from Project HOPE Operation Smile and the University of California at San Diego Pre-Dental Society joined Mercy along with a contingent of military medical specialists from the U S India Singapore and Canada U S Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Don Bray RELEASED 2006-07-02 060702-N-9076B-060 Navy http //www navy mil/view_image asp id 36343 U S Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Don Bray PD-USGov-Military-Navy Images from US Navy location Chittagong Bangladesh |