It's an interesting idea, however cost per "shot" is going to be really high still. Alternatively how do you decide what to keep up in orbit on standby for delivery, how long can it be in orbit for before use-by dates are reached on perishables, etc.

The article has a scenario of a Special Operations team somewhere deep behind enemy lines needing immediate resupply in a contested airspace environment.

It's very Helldivers.

The reentry will be visible for hundreds of miles and it seems like the pod would be vulnerable during the parachute phase. I'm still rooting for this sci-fi future though.

This sounds like a thinly veiled weapon? Sure, we'll call it "supply capsule" so that there is no public outcry and our engineers don't quit, but once the system is ready it'd be as simple as removing the parachute and putting explosives instead, or even a nuke.

The US military could have developed orbital weapons at any time if they wanted to. This seems like a roundabout way to do it.