SAN DIEGO (April 10, 2021) Capt. William Scouten, the outgoing executive officer of the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), waves farewell as he departs the ship. Scouten was relieved by Capt. Karla Lepore. Mercy recently returned to its homeport in San Diego from a routine overhaul in Portland, Ore., where improvements were made to its flight deck to support the V-22 Osprey. Mercy is preparing for a Dynamic Interface exercise, where the ship�s aviation facilities will be evaluated in adverse weather conditions. Mercy must be in a five-day-activation status in order to project combat power over the horizon, and be ready, reliable and resilient to support mission commanders. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Luke Cunningham)