Navy Ships Collide in Caribbean

It’s not exactly the kind of news you want to hear, but two U.S. Navy ships – the USS Truxtun and the USNS Supply – collided in the Caribbean on Wednesday, injuring two sailors. The incident happened during a replenishment-at-sea operation, which is just a fancy way of saying they were trying to refuel and transfer supplies while sailing side-by-side.

What Went Wrong

Details are still sketchy, but it seems the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Truxtun and the Supply-class fast combat support ship USNS Supply just didn’t get along. The cause of the collision is still under investigation, but let’s be real, it’s not like they were trying to crash into each other. The two personnel who reported minor injuries are in stable condition, so that’s a plus.

The incident is especially embarrassing since both ships were part of a military buildup in the Caribbean ordered by President Donald Trump to combat drug trafficking in the region. It’s not exactly the kind of message you want to send to the bad guys – ‘Hey, we’re here to stop you, but first, let us just crash into each other real quick.’ The Wall Street Journal first reported the collision, because of course they did.

What’s Next

The Navy is still investigating the incident, and we’re sure they’ll get to the bottom of it. In the meantime, the USS Truxtun and the USNS Supply will probably just stick to sailing in separate lanes. It’s a shame, really – they were just trying to do their job and help combat drug trafficking in the region. Now, they’re just a couple of ships that can’t even refuel without crashing into each other.