Plans outlined in the Pentagon’s Future Years Defense Program would cause the base defense budget to balloon to $735 billion (in today’s dollars) by 2033, according to new analysis from the Congressional Budget Office.
The base amount requested for 2019 was $617, plus overseas contingency costs. It is expected to be higher when the administration sends its budget request to Capitol Hill mid-March.
“About 25 percent of the total growth from 2024 through 2033 would be in military personnel costs, 55 percent in [operations and maintenance] costs, and 20 percent in costs to develop and purchase weapon systems,” the report said.
In Our Communities
Recent events have given children a chance to see what a military career would look like, as Stars and Stripes reported, highlighting hands-on experiences at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey and in New Bern, North Carolina, near Marine Corps Air Station...
