Trump’s Navy faces new crisis as warship loses power, leaving sailors without food and water

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump’s Navy is facing renewed scrutiny over conditions aboard deployed warships after the USS Benfold lost power for four days in the South China Sea, leaving sailors without several basic services.

A generator failure left the warship without drinkable water, food, air conditioning, and functioning toilets before it was towed to the Philippines.

The incident comes as the Navy is already facing questions over the prolonged deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East and reports of deteriorating conditions aboard the carrier.

USS Benfold power outage disrupts crew services

The USS Benfold, a guided-missile destroyer assigned to the USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group, experienced a generator failure on July 24 while deployed in the South China Sea.

The loss of power affected essential services aboard the ship, including potable water, food preparation, air conditioning, and toilets. 

Other Navy vessels were brought in to provide meals for the crew while the Benfold was towed to port in the Philippines, where sailors were placed in shore housing.

Full power was not restored until July 30, leaving the crew without basic necessities for four straight days. However, no injuries were reported in connection with the incident. According to a report by the Washington Post, the Navy also did not publicly disclose the outage for nearly a month.

The Benfold incident comes as the Navy continues to operate a large number of vessels in connection with the war with Iran. Dozens of warships have been deployed in the region in recent months as the United States maintains a blockade of Iranian ports.

The Navy has also experienced other mechanical problems during extended deployments.

The USS Gerald R Ford was removed from operations for repairs after spending more than 300 days at sea, following reports of a fire and problems with its toilet systems.

Abraham Lincoln deployment faces growing scrutiny

The latest incident also follows growing scrutiny over the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has remained deployed in the Middle East for more than 250 days.

The prolonged deployment has prompted lawmakers and military families to raise concerns about food supplies, water quality, plumbing, mail delivery, and sailors’ mental health, including allegations that some had attempted or considered going overboard.

A relative of one sailor aboard the ship told BBC News that the sailor had lost 29 kilograms during the deployment.

Senator Richard Blumenthal also echoed those concerns in a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, citing reports of “shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns, and disruptions in the mail system.”

However, President Donald Trump has rejected suggestions that the Lincoln's deployment has gone on for too long, saying, “no, not nearly long enough.”

Hegseth has also dismissed the reports, calling them "completely misrepresented" and stating that, “we make sure that every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment.” The USS George Washington is expected to replace the Lincoln as part of a planned deployment rotation.