Defending the Military Food Supply

As the world becomes smaller, the presence of U.S. military forces in foreign countries is likely to continue. The ongoing military engagements in both Iraq and Afghanistan have taught us that U.S. troops stationed abroad are attractive targets for hostile governments, organizations, and individuals. A safe food supply is a core cap ability required for sustaining a military presence in a foreign country. While there are limited examples of attempts to poison the military food supply, 1,2 one cannot ignore the fact that contaminated food could rapidly and effectively reduce the combat readiness of American forces.