And a week from Friday, the USNS Comfort, a hospital ship, is slated to arrive, he said.

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The USNS Observation Island, a ship that uses telemetry to monitor objects in space, will collect information on the satellite both before and after the missile launch.

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More than 100 noncombatants, including Iraqi civilians, are receiving health care aboard the USNS Comfort, a U.S. military medical ship in the Persian Gulf, according to Brooks.

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The USNS Rappahannock, a fuel resupply ship, fired on what two U.S. officials called a "small, white pleasure craft" 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the Dubai port of Jebel Ali.

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"In accordance with Navy force protection procedures, the sailors on the USNS Rappahannock ... used a series of nonlethal, preplanned responses to warn the vessel before resorting to lethal force, " the Navy said in a statement.

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These include the USS Bataan to conduct search and rescue missions, eight swift water rescue teams, the Iwo Jima Amphibious Readiness Group to help with disaster response equipment, and Hospital Ship USNS Comfort to help provide medical care.

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