I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 974 
To direct the President to submit to Congress a report on the long-term 
costs of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, and Operation 
Enduring Freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 9, 2011 
Mr. BRALEY of Iowa (for himself and Mr. JONES) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in ad-
dition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Veterans’ Affairs, for 
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To direct the President to submit to Congress a report 
on the long-term costs of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Op-
eration New Dawn, and Operation Enduring Freedom 
in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘True Cost of War Act 
of 2011’’. 
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SEC. 2. REPORT ON LONG-TERM COSTS OF OPERATION 
IRAQI FREEDOM AND OPERATION ENDURING 
FREEDOM. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings: 
(1) The United States has been engaged in 
military operations in Afghanistan since October 
2001 as Operation Enduring Freedom and in mili-
tary operations in Iraq since March 2003 as Oper-
ation Iraqi Freedom and its successor contingency 
operation, Operation New Dawn. 
(2) According to the Congressional Research 
Service, through fiscal year 2010, Congress has ap-
propriated $1,087,000,000,000 for the Department 
of Defense, for the State Department, and for med-
ical costs paid by the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs. This amount includes $751,000,000,000 re-
lated to operations in Iraq and $336,000,000,000 
related to operations in Afghanistan. 
(3) Over 90 percent of the funds appropriated 
for the Department of Defense for operations in 
Iraq and Afghanistan have been provided as supple-
mental or additional appropriations and designated 
as an emergency funding requirement. 
(4) The Congressional Budget Office and the 
Congressional Research Service have stated that fu-
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ture costs for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan 
are difficult to estimate because the Department of 
Defense provides little information on costs incurred 
to date and does not report outlays or actual ex-
penditure for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan 
(because war and baseline funds are mixed in the 
same accounts) and because of a lack of information 
from the Department of Defense on many of the key 
factors that determine costs, including personnel lev-
els and the pace of operations. 
(5) Over 2,000,000 members of the United 
States Armed Forces have served in Afghanistan 
and Iraq since the beginning of the conflicts. 
(6) Over 4,400 members of the Armed Forces 
and Department of Defense civilian personnel have 
been killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and over 
1,400 members of the Armed Forces and Depart-
ment of Defense civilian personnel have been killed 
in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. 
(7) Over 1,620 members of the Armed Forces 
have suffered amputations as a result of wounds or 
other injuries incurred in Afghanistan or Iraq. 
(8) More than 243,685 veterans of military 
service in Iraq and Afghanistan have been treated 
for mental health conditions, more than 66,900 of 
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these veterans have been diagnosed with post-trau-
matic stress disorder, and approximately 178,876 of 
these veterans have a confirmed traumatic brain in-
jury diagnosis. 
(9) Approximately 46 percent of veterans of 
military service in Iraq and Afghanistan have sought 
treatment at a Department of Veterans Affairs hos-
pital or medical clinic. 
(10) The Independent Review Group on Reha-
bilitative Care and Administrative Processes at Wal-
ter Reed Army Medical Center and National Naval 
Medical Center identified traumatic brain injury, 
post-traumatic stress disorder, increased survival of 
severe burns, and traumatic amputations as the four 
signature wounds of the current conflicts, and the 
Independent Review Group report states that the re-
covery process ‘‘can take months or years and must 
accommodate recurring or delayed manifestations of 
symptoms, extended rehabilitation and all the life 
complications that emerge over time from such trau-
ma’’. 
(b) REPORT REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President, 
with contributions from the Secretary of Defense, the Sec-
retary of State, and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 
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shall submit to Congress a report containing an estimate 
of the long-term costs of Operation New Dawn (the suc-
cessor contingency operation to Operation Iraqi Freedom) 
and Operation Enduring Freedom for each the following 
scenarios: 
(1) The scenario in which the number of mem-
bers of the Armed Forces deployed in support of Op-
eration New Dawn and Operation Enduring Free-
dom is reduced from roughly 190,000 in 2011 to 
150,000 in 2012, 65,000 in 2013, and 30,000 by 
the beginning of 2014, and remains at 30,000 
through 2020. 
(2) The scenario in which the number of mem-
bers of the Armed Forces deployed in support of Op-
eration New Dawn and Operation Enduring Free-
dom rises to approximately 235,000 in 2011, is re-
duced to 230,000 in 2012, 195,000 in 2013, 
135,000 in 2014, 80,000 in 2015, 60,000 in 2016, 
and remains at 60,000 through 2020. 
(3) An alternative scenario, determined by the 
President and based on current contingency oper-
ation and withdrawal plans, which takes into ac-
count expected force levels and the expected length 
of time that members of the Armed Forces will be 
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deployed in support of Operation New Dawn and 
Operation Enduring Freedom. 
(c) ESTIMATES TO BE USED IN PREPARATION OF 
REPORT.—In preparing the report required by subsection 
(b), the President shall make estimates and projections 
through at least fiscal year 2020, adjust any dollar 
amounts appropriately for inflation, and take into account 
and specify each of the following: 
(1) The total number of members of the Armed 
Forces expected to be deployed in support of Oper-
ation New Dawn and Operation Enduring Freedom, 
including— 
(A) the number of members of the Armed 
Forces actually deployed in Southwest Asia in 
support of Operation New Dawn and Operation 
Enduring Freedom; 
(B) the number of members of reserve 
components of the Armed Forces called or or-
dered to active duty in the United States for 
the purpose of training for eventual deployment 
in Southwest Asia, backfilling for deployed 
troops, or supporting other Department of De-
fense missions directly or indirectly related to 
Operation New Dawn or Operation Enduring 
Freedom; and 
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(C) the break-down of deployments of 
members of the regular and reserve components 
and activation of members of the reserve com-
ponents. 
(2) The number of members of the Armed 
Forces, including members of the reserve compo-
nents, who have previously served in support of Op-
eration Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, or Op-
eration Enduring Freedom and who are expected to 
serve multiple deployments. 
(3) The number of contractors and private mili-
tary security firms that have been used and are ex-
pected to be used during the course of Operation 
Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, and Oper-
ation Enduring Freedom. 
(4) The number of veterans currently suffering 
and expected to suffer from post-traumatic stress 
disorder, traumatic brain injury, or other mental in-
juries. 
(5) The number of veterans currently in need of 
and expected to be in need of prosthetic care and 
treatment because of amputations incurred during 
service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Op-
eration New Dawn, or Operation Enduring Free-
dom. 
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(6) The current number of pending Department 
of Veterans Affairs claims from veterans of military 
service in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the total num-
ber of such veterans expected to seek disability com-
pensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
(7) The total number of members of the Armed 
Forces who have been killed or wounded in Iraq or 
Afghanistan, including noncombat casualties, the 
total number of members expected to suffer injuries 
in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the total number of 
members expected to be killed in Iraq and Afghani-
stan, including noncombat casualties. 
(8) The amount of funds previously appro-
priated for the Department of Defense, the Depart-
ment of State, and the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs for costs related to Operation Iraqi Freedom, 
Operation New Dawn, and Operation Enduring 
Freedom, including an account of the amount of 
funding from regular Department of Defense, De-
partment of State, and Department of Veterans Af-
fairs budgets that has gone and will go to costs asso-
ciated with such operations. 
(9) Current and future operational expenditures 
associated with Operation New Dawn and Operation 
Enduring Freedom, including— 
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(B) the cost of lifetime prosthetics care 
and treatment for veterans suffering from am-
putations as a result of such service. 
(17) Current and future cost of providing De-
partment of Veterans Affairs disability benefits for 
the lifetime of veterans who incur disabilities while 
serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Op-
eration New Dawn, or Operation Enduring Free-
dom. 
(18) Current and future cost of providing sur-
vivors’ benefits to survivors of members of the 
Armed Forces killed while serving in support of Op-
eration Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, or Op-
eration Enduring Freedom. 
(19) Cost of bringing members of the Armed 
Forces and equipment back to the United States 
upon the conclusion of Operation New Dawn and 
Operation Enduring Freedom, including the cost of 
demobilization, transportation costs (including fuel 
costs), providing transition services for members of 
the Armed Forces transitioning from active duty to 
veteran status, transporting equipment, weapons, 
and munitions (including fuel costs), and an esti-
mate of the value of equipment that will be left be-
hind. 
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(20) Cost to restore the military and military 
equipment, including the equipment of the reserve 
components, to full strength after the conclusion of 
Operation New Dawn or Operation Enduring Free-
dom. 
(21) Amount of money borrowed to pay for Op-
eration Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, and 
Operation Enduring Freedom, and the sources of 
that money. 
(22) Interest on money borrowed, including in-
terest for money already borrowed and anticipated 
interest payments on future borrowing, for Oper-
ation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, and Op-
eration Enduring Freedom. 
Æ 
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