We’re Running Low on Munitions—Just Seven Weeks Into the War | Command Post

In this episode of Command Post, hosts Ben Parker and Mark Hertling dive into urgent military readiness concerns amid ongoing conflicts in Iran and the broader Indo-Pacific region. They begin by critiquing Secretary of Defense Hegseth's recent policy allowing service members to opt out of flu vaccinations, arguing it undermines unit cohesion and operational readiness—especially in closed environments like submarines and barracks. Drawing on personal experience, Hertling emphasizes that military readiness encompasses far more than equipment; it includes health, training, and preventive care, citing historical examples like dental readiness in basic training. The conversation then shifts to alarming shortages of critical munitions—50% of THAAD and Patriot interceptors, 45% of precision strike missiles, and significant drops in Tomahawk and Standard missile stocks—due to sustained operations in the Middle East. A key concern is that these depletions are affecting contingency planning for potential conflicts with China over Taiwan and North Korea on the Korean Peninsula. The commander of US Indo-Pacific Command has publicly warned of insufficient stockpiles, signaling a crisis in strategic readiness. The hosts also highlight troubling reports of poor sailor rations aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, suggesting broader logistical strain from repeated deployments to Venezuela and Iran. They conclude that while the administration focuses on symbolic culture war issues, the real threat lies in the erosion of the defense industrial base and the neglect of logistics—a professional concern that could jeopardize national security.