▁Part ners hip ▁( in ▁the ▁Pacific ▁bas in ) ▁and ▁Cont inu ing ▁Promise ▁( in ▁the ▁Car ib bean / west ▁Atlantic ) ▁since ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁Such ▁miss ions ▁are ▁often ▁carried ▁out ▁on ▁either ▁the ▁US ▁Navy ' s ▁commission ed ▁hospital ▁ships , ▁the ▁ ▁or ▁, ▁though ▁other ▁ships , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁am ph ib ious ▁assault ▁ship ▁, ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁used . ▁The ▁command ▁staff ▁of ▁the ▁P HS ▁deployed ▁team ( s ) ▁is ▁deployed ▁for ▁the ▁entire ▁mission ▁duration ▁( o ften ▁three ▁months ), ▁while ▁oper ational ▁personnel ▁serve ▁one ▁month ▁ab o ard , ▁meeting ▁and ▁depart ing ▁the ▁ships ▁at ▁the ▁ports ▁of ▁call ▁during ▁the ▁mission . ▁ ▁The ▁commission ed ▁corps , ▁as ▁a ▁uniform ed ▁service , ▁may ▁be ▁militar ized ▁and ▁considered ▁a ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁armed ▁forces ▁by ▁an ▁act ▁of ▁Congress , ▁or ▁by ▁executive ▁order ▁by ▁the ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁not ▁only ▁in ▁time ▁of ▁war , ▁but ▁in ▁" an ▁emer gency ▁involving ▁the ▁national ▁defense ▁proc laimed ▁by ▁the ▁President ." ▁Major ▁militar ization ▁of ▁the ▁corps ▁occurred ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁and ▁another ▁later ▁during ▁the ▁Korean ▁War . ▁ ▁Un iform s ▁and ▁ins ign ia ▁ ▁Commission ed ▁Corps ▁officers ▁wear ▁uniform s ▁similar ▁to ▁those ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Navy ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Coast ▁Guard ▁with ▁special ▁Public ▁Health ▁Service ▁ins ign ia . ▁Their ▁service ▁dress ▁bl ues