February 5th – In January this year, due to the riots in the U.S. Congress and the inauguration ceremony of the President, about 26,000 National Guard soldiers were stationed in Washington for security. U.S. military officials said that such mobilization expenditure reached nearly $500 million.
According to the Associated Press on the 5th, 50 states and four overseas territories of the United States sent soldiers to Washington for the safety of the inauguration ceremony.
Military officials revealed that the nearly $500 million expenditure includes transportation costs, wages and benefits, accommodation and other necessary expenses for mobilizing soldiers.
Moreover, since the federal government has been using the National Guard for more than 30 days, they still need to pay for their medical expenses.
Although the military gave a high expenditure estimate for the transfer, foreign media have reported that many soldiers were not treated normally.
On the second day after the presidential inauguration, thousands of National Guard soldiers were asked to evacuate the Capitol and sleep in the nearby parking lot, which not only failed to meet the rest conditions, but also the risk of contracting the novel coronavirus.
Officials said the money was expected to cover spending from the National Guard deployment through mid-March.
Due to the terrorist warning issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that other acts of violence may occur, about 5,000 to 7,000 soldiers will remain until March 14.
