CBO estimates that the Department of Defense spent $140 billion—or 27 percent of its base budget apart from the costs of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan—paying military personnel in 2012. CBO examines the budgetary implications of different approaches to compensating military personnel, including possible changes in the structure of cash pay, health benefits for military personnel and their family members, and health benefits for retirees. CBO also evaluates federal programs and issues related to veterans.
Military Personnel
featured work
Costs of Military Pay and Benefits in the Defense BudgetNov 2012 - For fiscal year 2013, the Department of Defense has requested $150 billion for pay and benefits for current and retired military personnel--more than one-quarter of DoD’s total budget (excluding funding for military operations in Afghanistan).
Long-Term Implications of the 2013 Future Years Defense ProgramJul 2012 - CBO projects that DoD’s plans will cost $123 billion, or 5 percent, more to execute through 2017 than DoD estimates. CBO also projects that the cost of DoD’s plans will exceed the limits established in the Budget Control Act.
The Veterans Health Administration's Treatment of PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury Among Recent Combat VeteransFeb 2012 - Through September 2011, about 740,000 veterans from overseas contingency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan had been treated by the VHA. That number is slightly more than half of all recent veterans eligible for care by VHA.
Potential Costs of Health Care for Veterans of Recent and Ongoing U.S. Military OperationsJul 2011 - Testimony before the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, United States Senate.
latest work
Military Retirement—February 2013 Baseline
data or technical informationFebruary 5, 2013Costs of Military Pay and Benefits in the Defense Budget
reportNovember 14, 2012CBO Releases Report on Costs of Pay and Benefits in the U.S. Military
blog postNovember 14, 2012H.R. 1775, Stolen Valor Act of 2012
cost estimateAugust 23, 2012Long-Term Implications of the 2013 Future Years Defense Program
reportJuly 11, 2012The Veterans Health Administration's Treatment of PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury Among Recent Combat Veterans
reportFebruary 9, 2012Military Retirement—January 2012 Baseline
data or technical informationJanuary 31, 2012H.R. 2369, A bill to amend title 36, United States Code, to provide for an additional power for the American Legion under its federal charter
cost estimateDecember 2, 2011
Use this menu to filter CBO's publications by topic. From January 2011 forward, all the agency's products are categorized by topic. Cost estimates released prior to the 112th Congress are not categorized by topic.