Two US Navy ships en route to support hurricane relief efforts

The amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge and the dock landing ship USS Oak Hill will leave this afternoon to support relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the Navy said Wednesday.

Kearsarge will leave Naval Station Norfolk with Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit from Camp Lejeune, N.C. The Oak Hill will leave from Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek. The ships can provide medical support, maritime security and medium and heavy air lift support, among other missions.

Both ships had been preparing for the departure to Texas since the beginning of the week. Norfolk-based Navy helicopter squadrons began search-and-rescue missions in and around Houston on Monday and have picked up hundreds of people, the Navy has said.

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