According to multiple reports this week, things got bad on the USS Lincoln. Food was short, supplies were short, the Marines and Sailors aboard the vessel had not been off-ship in months. Things got so bad, it was reported that by the time rescue crews arrived, the Marines had consumed most of the seamen aboard the USS Lincoln.

Okay maybe that last part isn’t true, but things were bad! As of today, the USS Lincoln has just begun its journey back home after a 9 month deployment in support of the ongoing Iran war.

Of course, predictably, this situation immediately became a partisan issue (as with everything these days). The discourse surrounding the situation revolved mostly around whether or not you thought these servicemen and women should just “suck it up” and deal with the burden of being deployed.

I think this is a stupid point of view in 2026–especially as the United States Military remains the most heavily funded (by a factor of many) military on the planet. The idea that we could spend a $1 Trillion on our defense budget and somehow not be able to get a few resupplies to this ship is absurd and an abject failure of leadership at all levels.

If we’re going to be the empire that can project force all over the planet, then let’s be that. However, that means we also don’t get the luxury of excuses when we fall short of taking care of our service members.