Reply #30: The carrier is delivering food and supplies. The ship is without power and refrigeration has failed [View All]

[Merchant Marine]

Without the assistance of the US Navy there would be no food.

Furthermore the mandatory assistance of disabled vessels at sea is a long-standing maritime tradition enshrined in the laws of most countries. While the USN is not held to a duty to provide assistance at sea by the US Code, it is still the right thing to do.

In any case the Ronald Reagan was in the area on a training voyage. This certainly provides good training for the helicopter crews in conducting vertreps on a non-standard vessel.