[Someone]

That, in at least one case (and, AFAIK, all cases) wasn't commercial, but ideological: http://www.womenonwaves.org/en/page/769/in-collection/2582/i...

Also, I would not call that surgery.

[rdl]

Better example is something like the USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy (or really any big surface combatant in the USN); they can do real surgery.

I'd argue that Comfort and Mercy could do more good for US national security at sea, combined with LPD/LPH for cargo transport and personnel, than any other surface ships in the US fleet -- humanitarian missions probably improve security more than anything but the submarine nuclear deterrent.