How much will it cost to send the additional U.S. troops?
The White House estimates that it costs about $1 million per year to send just one soldier or Marine to Afghanistan. That figure includes the cost of the equipment, fuel, food, housing, combat pay, ammunition and other miscellaneous costs. If Obama authorizes 30,000 more troops, that would add $30 billion to the cost of the war. The Department of Defense has already budgeted an $18 billion increase in 2010 for the war in Afghanistan, projecting a budget of $65 billion, so some of the troop increase may already be accounted for. Lawrence Korb, a defense analyst at the Center for American Progress, points out that even if the 30,000 troops were to remain in the United States, they have to be paid, fed, housed and trained, so the Department of Defense is spending money on these troops regardless of whether they are deployed. The cost will also be offset by the anticipated reduction of troops in Iraq, which is expected to be cut from more than 100,000 troops to 50,000 by the end of next ye
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