USNS Comfort Returns to Baltimore

The crew members of the USNS Comfort will get to sleep in their own beds tonight.

The hospital ship returned to its home port in Baltimore, Md., Friday morning after a nearly two month stay in Haiti.

It went there to provide medical treatment for the victims of the earthquake that hit the country Jan. 12. 

During the first four days,  the Comfort received patients every six to nine minutes. During the first week, the ship ran 10 operating rooms at full capacity.

"We were running pretty much non-stop, 24/7.  It was just very busy.  We kept pushing forward and took care of as many patients as we could,"  Lt. Commander Tom Olivero said.

They treated nearly 1,000 patients and performed 843 surgeries.

Jim Ware, the captain of the ship, said they saw a lot of "crushing injuries". 

Everyone on board played a role. 

"I did mostly supplies.  We did 200 to 300 medical supplies.  And because I'm a female and pretty strong, I also helped lift a lot of the female patients," Spec. 2nd Class Kayla Modshiedler said.

The Comfort left Haiti March 9, after it was determined the need for its services had diminished.

While Modshiedler admits there's still a lot that needs to be done back in Haiti, she's confident they made a difference.  

Many of the crew members left the ship when it stopped in Norfolk, Va., last week. About 200 arrived in Baltimore today.  

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