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The German Military’s Beer Logistics Battle

And you think you have a supply chain problem.

And you think you have a supply chain problem.

The recent withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan left the German military with a unique supply chain and logistics challenge.

Although German soldiers are allowed, by regulation, to consume two cans of beer each day, command was not allowing alcohol consumption during the final days in the country.

According to a report by Task & Purpose, this left a surplus of 340 bottles of wine and 65,000 cans of beer at the German base in Mazar-e-Sharif.

Dumping the beverages could damage the environment and the locals are not allowed to drink alcohol, so a civilian contractor had to be hired to transport the spirits roughly 3,800 miles back to Germany.

Interestingly enough, the first beers were believed to have been made in the Middle East by the Babylonians.


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