U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates gives his remarks and answers questions during a press conference in Krakow, Poland Feb. 20, 2009. Gates was in Poland to attend the Krakow Defense Ministerial Conference. DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jerry Morrison From Bloomberg:
he Pentagon needs at least $83 billion more for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan through the end of this fiscal year, Pentagon officials told the White House.
This figure includes $7.3 billion to pay for adding troops in Afghanistan, Pentagon officials wrote to the Office of Management and Budget on Feb. 3. The U.S. will add about 17,000 to its force of 38,000, President Barack Obama announced this week.
The $83 billion is $13.3 billion more than Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in late December was needed. That estimate of $69.7 billion didn’t include the cost of sending more troops to Afghanistan, he said then.
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My Comment: If the war in Afghanistan increases .... coupled with a worsening situation in Iraq .... this total can easily spiral upwards. This budget addendum also does not include any other wars or conflicts that may erupt in the next few months.
The DoD budget has the potentiality of spiraling out of control .... with no exit strategy in sight.