USS Benfold Loses Power in the South China Sea Amid Growing Strain on Deployed Sailors

In late July, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold experienced an engineering casualty that disabled its generators, leaving the 10,000-ton ship without power for four days. Commander Matthew Comer said the loss of power occurred on July 24 and the vessel was towed to Subic Bay in the Philippines on July 28, with power restored two days later. During the outage, crew members lacked galley services, toilets and air-conditioning. The cruiser USS Robert Smalls, attached to the same carrier strike group, supplied meals to the Benfold’s crew.

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The incident unfolded while the George Washington carrier strike group was transiting toward the Middle East, replacing the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been reported to have endured more than 200 days at sea without a port call. Extended deployments have been linked to heightened concerns about morale, mental-health challenges and living conditions for service members. The Pentagon has also been directed to scale back annual joint exercises with South Korea as the United States’ conflict with Iran continues.

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• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected media accounts of deteriorating conditions, asserting that the Navy ensures every ship, crew and captain has everything needed at all times.

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• Navy officials stated that, based on available information, they have not identified an increase in reported suicidal ideation or suicide attempts aboard the ship.

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• Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, visited the Lincoln’s crew in the Arabian Gulf, describing their performance as “extraordinary” despite fatigue and noting that the carrier has among the lowest mental-health case rates of the Navy’s eleven active carriers.

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Senator Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat and retired Marine, argued that the problems stem from the Iran war launched in February and that the administration failed to plan for or exit the conflict. Families of deployed sailors have expressed anger, with one sister describing the administration’s comments as “frustrating, false and careless,” and warning of consequences for her brother serving on the Lincoln.

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• USS Benfold: 10,000 tons, four-day power loss (July 24–28).

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• USS Abraham Lincoln: over 200 days at sea without a port call; crew of more than 4,000 service members.

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• Navy’s 11 active aircraft carriers: Lincoln ranks among those with the lowest reported mental-health incidents.

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