Costs of soldiers' gear

It cost $170 to outfit each soldier for combat in World War II. Today it costs nearly $15,000 to outfit each soldier in Iraq.
Experts estimate that the cost will be $28,000 to $60,000 in the middle of the next decade.
Unfortunately, with the way the Iraq war persists, the United States may be outfitting troops for that war beyond the middle the next century.
Yes, instead of gearing down the number of soldiers needed by somehow reducing the volume of conflicts there, we presently see evidence to the contrary.
Both Democrats and Republicans appear committed to remaining in the area with a significant number of troops for a long, long time. This surely seems the case for Iraq and, just as likely, in Afganistan.
And the Bush administration seems to be gearing up for some military action against Iran, although it appears to have moved away from the prospect of strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities in favor of strikes against specific Iranian military units.
The cost inflation for outfitting American soldiers certainly doesn't cover the costs of such military involvements in that part of the world. In fact, the US taxpayers may be paying as much for private or mercenary soldiers in the area (considering the amount of money paid to such companies as Blackwater, and some experts estimate that nearly as many private contractors work in Iraq as do members of the military).
The point is, with so many elements of the military-industrial complex feeding at the money trough filled and refilled constantly with tax-payer dollars, it is folly to expect an end to American involvement in Arab or Muslim (oil-rich) countries any time soon.
Surely not before it costs $60,000 to outfit a soldier to go there (and even more to send a mercenary).