{"id":60060,"date":"2019-03-05T19:35:25","date_gmt":"2019-03-05T19:35:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/03\/05\/a-plan-to-end-afghanistan-war-declare-victory-and-give-2500-bonuses-to-vets\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T11:26:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T11:26:30","slug":"a-plan-to-end-afghanistan-war-declare-victory-and-give-2500-bonuses-to-vets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/veterans\/2019\/03\/05\/a-plan-to-end-afghanistan-war-declare-victory-and-give-2500-bonuses-to-vets\/","title":{"rendered":"A plan to end Afghanistan War: Declare victory and give $2,500 bonuses to vets"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul is proposing giving all<a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/2019\/01\/30\/survey-shows-mixed-views-of-iraq-afghanistan-wars-among-younger-vets\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Iraq and Afghanistan veteran<\/a>s a one-time $2,500 payout and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2019\/02\/08\/the-framework-for-a-us-withdrawal-from-afghanistan-has-been-set-will-it-stick\/\" target=\"_blank\">declaring victory in Afghanistan<\/a> in what he is billing a cost-saving move for America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s important to know when it\u2019s time to declare victory and leave a war,\u201d the Republican said in a Facebook video posted Tuesday morning. \u201cI think that time is long past.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paul, a Republican lawmaker known for his libertarian views and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/congress\/2018\/06\/11\/us-senate-set-to-attack-defense-bill-amendments\/\" target=_blank>tense relationship with party leadership<\/a>, said the payout to veterans would cost taxpayers more than $7 billion, but it would also be \u201can immediate savings of 83 percent when compared to the current yearly cost of nation building.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/12\/01\/mattis-sees-progress-in-afghanistan-but-no-plans-for-troop-drawdowns\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"158\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18290196551471.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Mattis sees progress in Afghanistan, but no plans for troop drawdowns<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The defense secretary said if U.S. forces leave today, it will mean new attacks on the American homeland.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pentagon estimates put the total costs of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 at around $6 trillion. Paul said ongoing overseas missions in the global war on terror total more than $50 billion annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe don\u2019t need to be wasting that $50 billion, and there is no doubt much of it is wasted,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen are they (the Afghanistan government) going to pay for their own stuff? Why does Uncle Sam have to be Uncle Sap and pay for everything?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paul intends to introduce the legislation in coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The idea follows calls from President Donald Trump in the State of the Union to begin a drawdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, arguing that \u201cgreat nations do not fight endless wars.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About 16,000 U.S. troops are still deployed to Afghanistan in support and training roles. Pentagon leaders have said that too quick a drawdown from the nearly 18-year-old war could destabilize the region and allow terrorist groups to regain a foothold in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than 2,400 U.S. military personnel have died since the initial invasion of American forces in 2001.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paul said under his plan the \u201cpeace dividend\u201d bonus for veterans would be required to be paid out within one year of the official end of the war. More than 3 million Americans served in the two wars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He also said that the annual savings from cutting off the war funds should be used for domestic infrastructure projects and other priorities. He called spending American money overseas \u201cincredibly insulting\u201d to taxpayers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s time to declare our mission over and the war won,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s time to build here and not there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"fb-root\"><\/div>\n<script async=\"1\" defer=\"1\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;version=v14.0\" nonce=\"qBqUcd2s\"><\/script><div class=\"fb-video\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SenatorRandPaul\/videos\/2059126294387475\/\"><blockquote cite=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SenatorRandPaul\/videos\/2059126294387475\/\" class=\"fb-xfbml-parse-ignore\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SenatorRandPaul\/videos\/2059126294387475\/\">Senator Rand Paul Introduces AFGHAN Service Act<\/a><p>This week, I am introducing legislation to end a war that should have ended long ago, the war in Afghanistan. The United States has been fighting the War on Terror since October of 2001 and it has cost 6 trillion dollars. 2,300 military members were killed, and another 20,000 were wounded in action.<\/p>Posted by <a href=\"https:\/\/facebook.com\/SenatorRandPaul\">Senator Rand Paul<\/a> on Tuesday, March 5, 2019<\/blockquote><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kentucky Republican Sen, Rand Paul said the money spent on veterans would pale in comparison to the costs of the ongoing 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