The Defense Department's inspector general released a report on Monday revealing that the United States faces a shortfall in ammunition as a result of its war in Iran. The document, described as the first-of-its-kind mandatory report, acknowledges the military's munition shortfall and details some losses of American assets during Operation Epic Fury. It examines the impact of the conflict on U.S. military resources and supply levels.
This report exposes the predictable consequences of launching an open-ended war without congressional authorization or a defined strategic objective. Prolonged engagements in the Middle East have once again depleted critical stockpiles, leaving the military less prepared for its core constitutional duty of defending the homeland. The Framers designed a system of limited government precisely to prevent executives from dragging the nation into foreign conflicts that drain the treasury and erode readiness. War powers reside with Congress to ensure such decisions reflect deliberate consent rather than impulsive executive action, a safeguard rooted in original constitutional structure. America must reject reflexive interventionism and restore the constitutional discipline that protects both liberty and military strength.