Strained US Navy leaves destroyer stranded for four days without toilets, AC or water

The US Navy’s operational strain has again come into focus after one of its guided-missile destroyers was left stranded for four days in the sweltering heat of the South China Sea without working toilets, galley services, air conditioning or potable water following an engineering failure.

The USS Benfold, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, suffered an “engineering casualty involving its generators” on July 24 while conducting "routine operations" in the Indo-Pacific, Navy Cmdr. Matthew Comer, a US 7th Fleet spokesperson, said in a statement to CNN.

The failure left the nearly 10,000-ton warship unable to maneuver under its own power and disrupted essential services aboard the vessel, including its galley, toilets, air conditioning and potable water supply.

The conditions aboard the Benfold were particularly challenging. Daytime temperatures in the South China Sea in late July averaged about 89 to 98 degrees Fahrenheit (32 to 37 degrees Celsius), according to weather records, making the loss of air conditioning an additional hardship.

USNI News first reported that the Benfold remained stalled in the South China Sea for four days before it was towed to Subic Bay in the Philippines for repairs. 

The incident comes amid growing concerns that Washington’s war against Iran and its far-reaching military deployments are placing increasing strain on an already overstretched US Navy.

The setback also comes amid reports of low morale and a mental health crisis among sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has spent more than 200 days without a port call while conducting military operations against Iran.

Family members of deployed sailors have raised concerns about their mental health, while reports indicate that some personnel attempted suicide and that a violent incident aboard the carrier left several Navy personnel dead and others wounded, further underscoring the mounting strain on the crew.

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The Navy said repairs to the Benfold were completed on August 8, allowing the destroyer to return to duty.

The USS George Washington is meanwhile heading towards West Asia to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group, although the Navy has not said whether the Benfold will join the deployment.

The Benfold incident is the second recent power-related failure involving a US Navy destroyer in the Indo-Pacific.

In May, the USS Higgins lost power and propulsion for several hours following what the Navy described as an electrical-system “engineering casualty.”

The incidents highlight the vulnerabilities facing the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, which form the backbone of the US surface fleet. More than 70 of the vessels are in service, typically carrying between 329 and 359 sailors.

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