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| Army Equipment Costs to Triple |
| 2006-06-27 |
| WASHINGTON (AP) - The annual cost of replacing, repairing and upgrading Army equipment in Iraq and Afghanistan is expected to more than triple next year to more than $17 billion, according to Army documents obtained by the Associated Press. From 2002 to 2006, the Army spent an average of $4 billion a year in annual equipment costs. But as the war takes a harder toll on the military, that number is projected to balloon to more than $12 billion for the federal budget year that starts next Oct. 1, the documents show. The $17 billion also includes an additional $5 billion in equipment expenses that the Army requested in previous years but has not yet been provided. The latest costs include the transfer of more than 1,200 2-ton trucks, nearly 1,100 Humvees and $8.8 million in other equipment from the U.S. Army to the Iraqi security forces. Army and Marine Corps leaders are expected to testify before Congress Tuesday and outline the growing costs of the war - with estimates that it will cost between $12 billion and $13 billion a year for equipment repairs, upgrades and replacements from now on. The Marine Corps has said in recent testimony before Congress that it would need nearly $12 billion to replace and repair all the equipment worn out or lost to combat in the past four years. So far, the Marines have received $1.6 billion toward those costs to replace and repair the equipment. According to the Army, the $17 billion includes: -$2.1 billion in equipment that must be replaced because of battle losses. One of the growing costs is the replacement of Humvees, which are wearing out more quickly because of the added armor they are carrying to protect soldiers from roadside bombs. The added weight is causing them to wear out faster, decreasing the life of the vehicles. Congress has provided about $21 billion for equipment costs in emergency supplemental budget bills from 2002-06. All the war equipment expenses have been funded through those emergency bills, and not in the regular fiscal-year budgets. Pentagon officials have estimated that such emergency bills would have to continue two years beyond the time the U.S. pulls out of Iraq in order to fully replace, repair and rebuild all of the needed equipment. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #14 The same idiots that complained about not having armored Humvees are now bitching that it costs too much to maintain them. These are probably the same dumba%%es that buy a new car and never change the oil in it. The new vehicles and equipment will soon need to be reset and the costs associated with that will drive the supplementals even higher. What really pisses me off here is the silent implication that the cost is not worth the effort. Anyone who wants to bitch about the cost of this war and its value should go and talk to the families of the 911 tragedy and get their opinion. |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2006-06-27 22:39 |
| #13 So they're complaining that there are actual costs associated with waging war? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-06-27 17:37 |
| #12 loooks like you got your answer bk and how many billions get spent on bullshit like lets say "THE BIG DIG" |
| Posted by: Greamp Elmavinter1163 2006-06-27 16:38 |
| #11 No problem on the tax thing. Especially if it was the Fair Tax! Support HR 25! -always looking for an opening to give the cheap plug :) |
| Posted by: Broadhead6 2006-06-27 15:45 |
| #10 Army transformation is being paid for with funds dedicated for the Afghan and Iraq campaigns One reason for this is that transformation is geared to support exactly the sort of jobs our military are doing in those countries. |
| Posted by: lotp 2006-06-27 15:39 |
| #9 #8 How about a few Billion of your tax dolllars to pay for this-bk With pleasure, bk: I've never complained on April 15 since 9/11/01. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2006-06-27 15:29 |
| #8 How about a few Billion of your tax dolllars to pay for this |
| Posted by: bk 2006-06-27 10:09 |
| #7 i'm about tired of hearing how much the shit cost. if it helps keep OUR troops safe and a great military force then who gives a shit about a couple billion dollars. Hell i'm sure we gave more than that to drug dealers and killers after katrina anyway but no one bitched and complained |
| Posted by: Greamp Elmavinter1163 2006-06-27 09:51 |
| #6 ed is right, the lion's share of the money is going into transformation, not repairing the old wheel. Congress is very fickle about funding parts, even for new systems, so the military is very careful to order up replacement parts in the balloon payment up front. This is one of the reasons that new systems are so expensive--the replacement parts that come with them probably outweigh the thing in itself. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-06-27 09:38 |
| #5 Army transformation is being paid for with funds dedicated for the Afghan and Iraq campaigns. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-06-27 08:56 |
| #4 You don't think that this could be the Guardian blowing smoke up our asses do you? |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2006-06-27 08:35 |
| #3 $2.1 billion in equipment that must be replaced because of battle losses. -About $6.5 billion for repairs. -About $8.4 billion to rebuild or upgrade equipment. -About $301 trillion lost to Katrina flooding. No worries, the FEMA check should clear this afternoon. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2006-06-27 06:56 |
| #2 What's that echo I hear in the distance? It's the donks whining about not finding UBL, etc. |
| Posted by: Captain America 2006-06-27 00:24 |
| #1 It's basically used up. Worn to junk status. Not worth dragging back when units rotate out. this is to be expected. How's about a few Billion in oil revenue to pay for some of this ? |
| Posted by: SOP35/Rat 2006-06-27 00:23 |