A U.S. military ship departed from Virginia on Saturday for the Middle East to build a port off Gaza‘s coast in the Mediterranean Sea to surge humanitarian aid into the strip.

The U.S. Army Vessel (USAV) General Frank S. Besson (LSV-1) from the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary), 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command, XVIII Airborne Corps, departed from Joint Base Langley-Estis, Virginia “less than 36 hours after” President Joe Biden announced during his Thursday night State of the Union address that he directed the military to build the port, according to U.S. Central Command.