Destroyer Power Loss Incident
USS Benfold Lost Power for Four Days, Leaving 300 Sailors Without Basic Facilities
About 300 sailors aboard the USS Benfold spent four days without working toilets, air conditioning, running water, or hot meals after the guided-missile destroyer lost power in the South China Sea in July, according to Fox 11. The engineering failure struck during routine operations in the Indo-Pacific, leaving the crew to endure brutal heat with no basic services.
Power was finally restored on July 30, according to KOMO News. The ship left Subic Bay the next day with all engineering, combat, and crew-support systems working normally.
Four Days of Heat, Dark Decks, and No Showers
The USS Benfold went dark while operating in the South China Sea. With power out, the ship's toilets stopped working. The galley could not serve meals. Air conditioning shut down — a serious problem in the sweltering Pacific heat. Sailors also had no reliable drinking water for the full four days, according to KUTV.
The conditions were harsh by any measure. A warship without power is essentially a steel box baking in the sun. With around 300 crew members aboard, the situation required fast action from the Navy to keep sailors safe and fed.
Strike Group Ships Stepped In to Feed and House the Crew
The USS Robert Smalls, part of the George Washington Carrier Strike Group, took on the job of feeding the Benfold's crew during the outage, according to Bakersfield Now. Other ships in the strike group also provided support. The Navy moved sailors off the stricken destroyer and gave them food and lodging while repairs were underway.
The George Washington Carrier Strike Group was operating in the Indo-Pacific at the time. Having multiple ships nearby made it possible to keep the crew fed and sheltered even as the Benfold sat without power, according to News Channel 9.
Power Restored July 30, Ship Departs Subic Bay
Engineers brought the USS Benfold back online on July 30. The ship departed Subic Bay — a port in the Philippines — the following day, according to KATU. All systems were confirmed working: engineering, combat, and crew support. The Navy did not say publicly what caused the original power failure.
George Washington Strike Group Now Heads Toward Middle East
Since the incident, the George Washington Carrier Strike Group has been spotted moving toward the Middle East, according to MyFox28 Columbus. The group is expected to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been at sea for more than 260 days — well beyond a typical deployment.
The Benfold is part of that strike group. Its swift return to full operation matters as the group takes on a new mission in a high-stakes region. The Navy has not said whether the Benfold's power failure will affect its role in that deployment.
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