military
US Navy destroyer adrift in South China Sea for four days after losing power
USS Benfold lost power after ‘engineering casualty’ leaving sailors without galley services, toilets and air conditioning
TL;DR
- The USS Benfold, a US guided-missile destroyer, was adrift for four days in the South China Sea after losing power due to an engineering casualty.
- Sailors on the Benfold were without galley services, toilets, and air conditioning during the outage.
- The USS Robert Smalls provided meals to the Benfold's crew, and power was restored two days after the vessel was towed to Subic Bay.
- Reports of low morale and mental health challenges have emerged concerning the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been deployed for an extended period.
- Pentagon officials have denied widespread issues, but Democratic lawmakers and military families are demanding explanations from the Trump administration.
- Annual joint military exercises with South Korea have been scaled back, reportedly due to strain on US aircraft carriers involved in the conflict with Iran.