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1 1 (April 18, 2019)

handle is hein.crs/govzjx0001 and id is 1 raw text is: $ Congressional Research Service ~ Informing the legislative debate since 1914 April 18, 2019 U.S. War Costs, Casualties, and Personnel Levels Since 9/11 Seventeen years have passed since the U.S. initiated major military operations following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In the intervening period, operations first classified as Global War on Terror (GWOT) and later Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) have varied in scope. Though primarily focused on locations in Afghanistan and Iraq, they have also included territories throughout Central and Southeastern Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. This In Focus summarizes major expenditures on U.S. war operations, reconstruction assistance, troop levels and casualties, and ongoing issues for Congress. This analysis narrowly defines war/non-war costs as OCO- designated appropriated funds associated with overseas operations as designated in DOD's official Cost of War (CoW) report. Other observers may define war operations or costs more broadly (see Issues for Congress section). Department of Defense War Costs Congress has appropriated a total of $1.55 trillion in discretionary amounts to the Department of Defense (DOD) for war funding since 9/11, according to DOD reporting. (See following section for OCO non-war expenditures.) Obligations of those amounts peaked during two surges of U.S. military activity; first in Iraq in FY2008 ($140 billion), and then in Afghanistan in FY2011 ($97 billion). Figure I. Iraq and Afghanistan: War Spending and Troop Levels Since 2008 Afghanistan Iraq Cost Strangth (Obgatcm bt Troops 000) 180 180 5l00 120 120 $506 60 a - 0 FY08 FY18 FY08 FY18 Source: For costs, DOD Cost of War, September 2018; for troop levels, FY2020 DOD Comptroller Defense Budget Request Overview. As a percentage of total OCO-designated obligations, the two conflicts have been roughly equivalent. Obligations for operations primarily in Afghanistan represent 49% ($737 billion) overall, while those for Iraq represent 51% ($759 billion). Over the past three years, obligations for war spending have averaged $47 billion per year, mostly to fund the operating support costs of U.S. forces in and around Afghanistan. Between FY2016-FY2018, the Afghan Security Forces Fund comprised 9.16% of all obligations for Afghanistan. In Iraq and Syria, obligations for war fell with the departure of most U.S. troops in December 2011, but rose again as air and ground operations against ISIS intensified. Between FY2016 and FY2018, the U.S. obligated an average of $7.2 billion annually for operations in Iraq and Syria. DOD Non-War Program Costs According to DOD reporting, roughly 12% ($.2 trillion) of all funding appropriated through war-related requests since 9/11 has funded non-war programs. These include congressional transfers to OCO, funding for the European Deterrence Initiative, non-DOD classified programs, adjustments for (non-GWOT) fuel costs, and Army modularity programs (service restructuring). Use of the OCO Designation Estimates of the cumulative costs of war are complicated by the use of OCO-designated funds for base budget activities. Under current law, funding designated for emergencies and overseas contingencies is not counted under budget limits set annually by congressional budget resolutions. After passage of the Budget Control Act (BCA) in 2011, exceeding such budget caps triggers across-the-board cuts (sequestration) to agency programs. As a means of complying with the BCA, Congress and the president have increasingly designated substantial amounts of funding as OCO to provide for base military activities. Because of this practice, some argue that OCO has become a slush fund that obscures the true cost of both war and non- war spending. Others argue that the OCO designation affords necessary flexibility to apply funds when and where needed. Base and Enduring Requirements DOD's FY2020 budget request debuts new OCO funding categories that identify the requirement for which the portion of OCO is intended. These requirement categories include the following: * Direct War Requirements ($25.4 billion; 15%): Direct combat support and partnership training costs. * OCO for Enduring Requirements ($41.3 billion; 24%): Indirect operational costs likely to remain even after GWOT combat operations have ended; also funds European Deterrence Initiative and Ukraine Security Assistance. * OCO for Base Requirements ($97.9 billion; 56%): Base funding included to comply with BCA spending limits. * Emergency Requirements ($9.2 billion; 5%): Includes $2 billion in disaster relief and $7.2 billion intended for construction of southwest border wall. :ps://crsreports.congress.go,

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