The Economic Costs of Reserve Forces Utilization: An Analysis of Their Employment in Fighting the Global War on Terrorism

Abstract

This project offers a model useful for estimating the social cost of U.S. Reserve Forces and National Guard employment alternatives in support of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). We consider two specific alternatives in this report: (1) the operational force (status quo) and (2) increasing Active Duty Force end strength and keeping Reserve Forces as a 'strategic' reserve. We assume both alternatives are equal in effectiveness. Each alternative provides certain benefits and costs to American society. We also accept a budgetary cost estimate of $533 billion from the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. We then focus on the social costs of these alternatives. We conclude that the social cost of Alternative 1 exceeded Alternative 2 by nearly $50 billion from 2001 to 2006.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 2007
Accession Number
ADA475987

Entities

People

  • Charles W Ryan
  • Craig L. Harvey

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Business Administration
  • Cost Analysis
  • Economic Analysis
  • Employment
  • Enlisted Personnel
  • Families (Human)
  • Geography
  • Health Services
  • Military Operations
  • Military Organizations
  • Military Personnel
  • Military Reserves
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Public Policy
  • Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Life Cycle Cost Analysis
  • Public Financial Management and Budgeting
  • Strategic Security Studies