The U.S. Navy under President Donald Trump is once again under the microscope after a deployed warship suffered a total power loss in the South China Sea, leaving sailors for four days without safe drinking water, proper meals, air conditioning or functioning toilets.
The crisis began on July 24, when a generator malfunction aboard the USS Benfold knocked out power across the guided-missile destroyer.
As the disabled vessel was towed toward a port in the Philippines, nearby Navy ships were brought in to supply food for the crew. Once ashore, sailors were moved into temporary housing off the ship.
Power was not fully restored aboard the Benfold until July 30, though officials have said no injuries were reported.
According to The Washington Post, the Navy did not publicly reveal the incident until nearly a month after it happened.
The South China Sea outage has surfaced as the Trump administration continues to face criticism over lengthy aircraft carrier deployments in the Middle East, including conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, where reports of exhausted sailors attempting to jump overboard have alarmed military families.
Relatives of Navy personnel have spoken of sinking morale and suicidal thoughts among crew members, with one sailor’s wife telling Navy Times that her severely burned-out husband tried to leap from the ship.
At the time of the incident, the Benfold was operating with the USS George Washington strike group, which is now heading toward the Middle East to take over duties from the Lincoln.
Trump’s Navy is facing renewed scrutiny after a warship lost all power while deployed in the South China Sea, stranding sailors without drinkable water, food, air conditioning or working toilets for four days
A generator failure aboard the USS Benfold on July 24 left the destroyer without power for days
The outage comes as the Trump administration faces criticism over extended carrier deployments in the Middle East, including that of the USS Abraham Lincoln, where reports of desperate sailors throwing themselves aboard have angered military families
Since the start of Trump’s war, reports have surfaced of food shortages and rationing aboard the Lincoln, accompanied by grim images of sailors’ meals
The Daily Mail has contacted the Pentagon for comment.
When confronted last week with the fears of military families over conditions on the USS Lincoln, Trump flatly denied those fears existed: ‘Well, no, that ship is moving. No, they’re not.’
‘That ship is moving right now, or very shortly, and it’s being replaced with another very similar ship,’ Trump added. The USS George Washington warship is now steaming toward the Middle East to relieve the Lincoln in a swap officials insist was already planned.
Asked whether the deployment had simply gone on too long, the president shot back: ‘No. Not nearly long enough.’
Since the start of Trump’s war, reports have surfaced of food shortages and rationing aboard the Lincoln, accompanied by grim images of sailors’ meals.
Hegseth, who was in Iowa stumping for Trump last night, has denied that conditions on the Lincoln are severe: ‘Listen, we make sure that every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment.’
Eighteen US service members have died in Iranian strikes across the region since the war began in February, with hundreds more wounded.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers has called for a congressional visit to the ship to ensure that conditions for sailors are humane.
Pete Hegseth has waved off concerns about the USS Lincoln’s living conditions for troops as a complete mischaracterization
Trump’s war with Iran has taken a heavy toll on the Navy, with dozens of warships deployed in recent months to enforce the blockade of Iranian ports.
Peace talks between Washington and Tehran have also stalled after the president’s latest ceasefire expired yesterday.
Mechanical problems are becoming increasingly apparent as aircraft carriers remain at sea for extended periods. The USS Gerald R. Ford suffered a fire and a breakdown of its toilet systems in May after spending more than 300 days at sea.
