The USNS Comfort has 1,000 beds and is 894 feet long - equal in size to one of the largest trauma centers in the United States. It provides all the services major hospitals provide, according to Navy officials. Photo courtesy U.S. Navy

More and more rescuers, many of whom have been at the trade center since the Sept. 11 terrorist-linked jetliner attacks destroyed the twin towers, are seeking solace - both physical and mental - from the Navy's hospital ship since it docked in midtown Manhattan Friday.

Signs appeared around the ship's reception area Sunday evening offering a Rescue Worker Debriefing Group: "The USNS Comfort extends the opportunity to everyone to share his or her experience related to our national tragedy."

Two psychiatrists, one psychologist, one psychiatric nurse and two chaplains compose a team prepared to offer emotional support to anyone in need.

"A lot of people may feel overwhelmed, not eating, not sleeping ... nightmares," said Lt. James Reeves, a psychiatrist at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda.

"The more they share their experiences with others who have similar experiences, the more they know they're not alone," Reeves said. "The less people talk ... the more isolated they can feel."

That isolation often leads to depression, he said.

At the moment, most people seem to be doing well, Reeves said. They are working in cohesive units that help each other deal with the stress. And on the Comfort over the weekend, there were many others to share experiences with.

The National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda deployed about 500 people Friday morning to staff the Comfort.

"It's an amazing type of vessel," said Navy Lt. j.g. Mike Kafka, a spokesman for the hospital.

The 1,000-bed ship is 894 feet long - equal in size to one of the largest trauma centers in the United States - and provides all the services major hospitals provide, according to Navy officials.

The Comfort is one of the Navy's two hospital ships designed to give emergency medical care for U.S. combat forces deployed in war or other operations.

The Comfort left its home port in Baltimore Sept. 12, and arrived at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Earle, N.J., Thursday to take on crew and supplies.

National Naval Medical Center staff left Bethesda at 3:45 a.m. Friday to meet the ship in New Jersey. The Comfort arrived in New York later in the day.

The 500 people from Bethesda are doctors, nurses, and staff necessary to run a hospital at sea. There will be 600 Navy medical and support personnel and 61 civilian mariners aboard.

"The people are ready to go to sea," Kafka said. "The people here are definitely ready."

The Comfort has 12 operating rooms, a medical laboratory, optometry lab, radiological services, CAT scan, pharmacy, and two oxygen-producing plants.

There are 80 intensive care beds, 20 recovery beds, 400 intermediate care beds, and 500 minimal care beds.

The ship has a helicopter pad designed to land large military helicopters. Also, it has side ports to take on patients at sea.

The beds of the 10-story ship filled with police officers, firemen and military reservists. Even the Massachusetts man's exhausted "cadaver dog," a specially trained canine aiding in the search, found its way into officers' quarters for a nap.

On Sunday, 270 workers slept on the ship and 227 just came for a hot meal in a galley that now runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, said Marge Holtz, director of public affairs for Military Sealift Command, the Navy department that runs the ship.

Among the weary coming in over the weekend were firemen from Chicago, a SWAT team from Milton, Conn., Air National Guardsmen from Syracuse, N.Y., and many New York City emergency workers.

A disaster team from Mexico City came aboard for food and other supplies after their luggage failed to arrive with their plane. They heard about the Comfort on television in the airport.

"We came voluntarily to support the fire departments," said Hector Mendez, a 55-year-old senator in Mexico's national Legislature.

"Many people [in Mexico] said `Don't go to the United States. You can't do anything there. They already have the best people.' But we are experienced and we want to help," Mendez said.

The rescue team has worked in more than a dozen disaster areas - in India and El Salvador this year alone - said Edmundo Delgado Ramirez, a 51-year-old national legislator. They were anxious to get started.

The Comfort went into service in 1987. The ship was deployed to the Persian Gulf War in 1990 and to the Caribbean in 1994 for Haitian migrant operations.

When the Comfort is not in service, it remains in Baltimore on a reduced operating status with a crew of 13 civilian mariners and 58 Navy personnel. When the ship goes into service, Navy personnel from the East Coast are deployed.

The National Naval Medical Center will continue to operate. Reservists, employees of the National Institutes of Health, and volunteers will be brought in to help run the hospital.

"The hospital will be fully functional," Kafka said.

Guards are checking identification of people entering the National Naval Medical Center.

Christopher Sherman is a reporter with Capital News Service.