During lengthy overseas deployments, the U.S. military sometimes faced a surprising logistical reality: shipping surplus ammunition back home could cost more than the ammunition itself. When transportation, handling, storage, and other expenses outweighed its value, approved disposal could become the more practical option. Under controlled procedures, surplus or unusable munitions could be destroyed rather than shipped thousands of miles home. While it might look wasteful at first glance, the practice reflects the complicated economics of military logistics, where efficiency, safety, and limited transportation capacity can sometimes make disposal the more sensible choice.