The financial legacy of Afghanistan and Iraq: How wartime spending decisions will constrain future U.S. national security budgets

The Afghan and Iraqi conflicts, taken together, will be the most expensive wars in United States history, totaling somewhere between US4 to US trillion. This includes long-term medical care and disability compensation for service members, veterans and families, military replenishment, and social and economic costs. The largest portion of that bill is yet to be paid. Since 2001, the U.S. has expanded the quality, quantity, availability, and...