Military operations in Iraq are currently costing about $3 billion a month. Operations in Afghanistan are costing about $1.5 billion a month ($700 million for military operations, the rest for reconstruction and aiding the Afghan people as well as building bases for American troops). Afghanistan is also expensive because a lot of material is still being flown in, and helicopters are used heavily. Military air transportation units are, worldwide, moving 58,000 tons of cargo and 76,000 passengers during nearly 1,700 flights a month. While some good can be trucked in from Pakistan, that can be expensive as well for material coming from the US. Staple goods, like fuel, are coming from Pakistan.