The Rising Costs of “Freedom”
In 2025, the U.S. military spent an estimated $997 BILLION on defense. Meanwhile, funding for our essential services is being cut, the national cost of living continues to rise, and people across the country are struggling to find work to support themselves and their families.
Military spending has become excessive and our communities are facing the consequences.
On February 24th, 2026, we held an online webinar with panelists from Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, NW Against Nuclear Weapons Coalition, and Seattle Against War to provide public education around various costs of the U.S. military - including the Growler jets. Panelists discussed how the U.S. military budget has become the largest in the world (higher than the next 9 countries COMBINED) and what some of these costs could cover instead.
For example, the cost of just ONE hour of Growler jet flight is approximately $36,000. Washington State’s minimum wage is $17.13/hour... making a full-time worker’s annual income ≈$35,630.
Watch the recording of our Military Costs webinar to learn more, then download and print our zine below!
Military Costs webinar recording COMING SOON!
<< Printable Zine
Help us raise awareness around financial costs of the U.S. military! Print out this zine to inform others about the rising costs of our military’s budget and the impacts of some of these costs - for example: funding for services to support veterans are at risk… meanwhile, the Navy’s budget only grows each year and Growler jet noise only contributes to heightened PTSD.
Click on the Military Costs Zine to download and print at home so you can share it with your friends, pass it out at events, keep it on your coffee table, or use as a conversation starter!
Additional Resources:
Military Expenditure: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
Growler C02 Emissions: Citizens of Ebey’s Reserve
Calculating States’ Contribution to Military Funding: Not My Tax Dollars
