On the Radar: Iran Spending, FPCON Levels, Commissary Shopping & Sheepdog Movie

Here's what's on the radar in military life this week. The Pentagon is asking for about $200 billion more for operations against Iran. That request now goes to Congress. While Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wouldn't confirm that exact number in a press conference, he did say it takes money to kill bad guys. Here's where things get complicated. Congress hasn't authorized this war and there's already pushback from both parties. And with the defense budget already over $800 billion plus another $150 billion added last year, it could be a tough sell. Bottom line, this fight over funding is just getting started. Several military installations elevated their security posture to FPCON Charlie this week. The MacDill Air Force Base, which is home to CENTCOM, they had a shelter-in-place order on Wednesday. And Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst was investigating suspicious packages on Tuesday. Now, in light of that, it's a good time to review what FPCON levels mean for base access where you are because requirements can change depending on the threat level. You can find a full breakdown of FPCON and DEFCON levels on mybaseguide.com. Commissaries will soon start charging for single-use bags. Starting April 6th, shoppers will pay $0.05 for plastic and $0.10 for paper, a move expected to save at least $17 million next year. Officials say this helps cut costs while keeping overall savings for military families. The change won't apply in states where bag bans are already in place. Finally, over on veteran life, what happens after the uniform comes off? On our latest episode of Return to Base, host Cliff Van Rickley talks with filmmaker Stephen Graham about the movie Sheepdog and the challenges many veterans face after service. This is a conversation about identity, purpose, and the path forward. The powerful new episode is out now. That's your briefing. Make sure you follow along so you never miss what's on the radar.