USNS "Mercy" departed San Diego on 5 January 2005 en route to the tsunami-devastated regions of Southeast Asia, where she provided medical care to the victims of the disaster as part of Operation Unified Assistance, and further care as part of Theater Security Cooperation Program 2005. Combined, she provided over 107,000 patient services, rendered by members of the Department of Defense, Project HOPE, and the United States Public Health Service.