USS Gunston Hall deploys

NORFOLK, Va. - The USS Gunston Hall left Joint Expeditionary Base, Little Creek-Fort Story Friday morning, joining a long list of groups from Hampton Roads headed to the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince to provide humanitarian relief.

Medical personnel from Naval Medical Center Portsmouth also left Friday, bringing 550 doctors, nurses, and more to a nation in need of water, help, and time.

The USS Bataan, along with WAVY News 10 Photographers Art Kohn and Jeff Myers, left Naval Station Norfolk Thursday and sailed into the night sky. For the crew, who just returned from a seven-month deployment, shipping out is nothing new. But this time the trip is a bit different.

The sailors are on their way to help the Haitian earthquake victims. The USS Bataan, along with three other supply ships, left Hampton Roads Thursday.

"If I have any message for anyone, it is that we care and we are coming," said Captain Tom Negus, mission commander.

Using hovercrafts, sailors and marines will be able to bring food and water from the ships to the shore. The Bataan will also provide much needed medical care.

"We have a hospital aboard," said Samuel Howard, the ship's captain. "We have the capacity to operate up to four operating rooms at one time."

"I was talking to my wife about it," added Green. "Even though we just got home, she was like 'Baby, I'm glad you're going.'"

The Bataan is making one stop off the coast of North Carolina to pick up Marines at Base Camp Lejeune before heading to a nation nearly in ruins.

"We prepare for this, we practice for this and we are ready for this," added Negus.

This mission hits close to home for this crew.

"I have several Haitians as part of the crew," added Howard. "One who knows of three of his family that have perished. We look forward to the opportunity to help person to person."

The Virginia Task Force 2 Urban Search and Rescue Team left Thursday as well, joining the Coast Guard Cutter Forward in Haiti.

WAVY photojournalists Art Kohn and Jeff Myers will be filing reports while on board the USS Bataan, profiling what these local sailors are doing to help the earthquake victims.

Watch their reports on WAVY News 10 and keep checking back here at www.wavy.com for their stories, photos, blogs and video reports.