--- title: "The US military’s air conditioning bill for deployed troops allegedly tops $20 billion" date: "2018-04-02" modified: "2020-10-21" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/the-us-militarys-air-conditioning-bill-for-deployed-troops-allegedly-tops-20-billion/" categories: - "Military News" --- # The US military’s air conditioning bill for deployed troops allegedly tops $20 billion ![]() A former Pentagon official says the U.S. spends [$20.2 billion a year]() on air conditioning for U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan – the same amount of money it would take to train, fund, and equip Afghan security forces for *[a full ]()[five years]().* --- ![]() U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Russell Dutcher, 455th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron HVAC technician, repairs an air conditioning unit June 30, 2015, at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo By Senior Airman Cierra Presentado) To put it in perspective, that $20 billion is also the cost of a new [Trump border wall]() every year, the price tag for[ supporting fledgling democracies in North Africa]() for five years, and the [amount BP will pay]() in its settlement for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yASbM8M2vg (The movie looks awesome, by the way) Retired Brig. Gen. Steven Anderson was the head of logistics for Gen. David Petraeus in Iraq. He [told NPR's *All Things Considered*]() that everything required to get A/C to the troops – escorts, transportation, medevac support ... everything – tops out at $20 billion. The Pentagon has denied his claims. The $20 billion air conditioning bill estimate includes the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan, a number that has [steadily risen]() with every passing year. By 2014, the Afghan War cost as much as [$2.1 million dollars for every soldier]() deployed there. Some experts say even the U.S. government [doesn't know for sure]() where all the money is going. ![]() *Airmen from the 27th Special Operations Communications, Contracting and Comptroller Squadrons helped build up an exercise area, including fully functioning tents and offices. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Eboni Reams)* In 2013, Harvard economist Linda Bilmes [calculated]() what she calls the "true cost" of the wars, counting "long-term medical care and disability compensation for service members, veterans and families, military replenishment and social and economic costs." Bilmes, who's the former CFO of the Department of Commerce, predicted that the final bill for the wars will be as much as $6 trillion. [Brown University estimates]() the cost to be upwards of $7 trillion. ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()