Report: Day-to-day operation costs eat up half of the defense budget
By: Shawn Snow, January 13, 2017 (Photo Credit: Pfc. Sean Dennison/Army)
Operation and maintenance (O&M) costs ate up roughly $251 billion, or 50 percent of the U.S. defense budget, when overseas contingency operations (OCO) were accounted for in 2015, according to a report prepared by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
“Over the past few decades, funding for O&M has increased substantially, accounting for a growing share of DoD’s budget. That growth has occurred even as the number of active-duty military personnel has remained flat or declined,” the report reads.
However, due to the extremely complex nature of O&M funds and the diversity of goods and services it provides, it is not exactly known why costs continue to rise.
http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/operation-maintenance-251-billion-dollars-defense-budget-congressional-budget-office
