As we arrive at the fifth anniversary of war in Iraq, the money that war has cost is having a serious effect on the U.S. economy.  The Defense Department is requesting a further $515 billion to cover costs for the next year, a 5% increase, even as a recession seems to be occuring around us.

The US economy is probably in recession, clouds are gathering over its pension and health-care systems, and its military budget may not make sense even in strategic terms. The US alone accounts for around 50 percent of the world's military expenditures, which is historically unprecedented for a single country.

Most other countries don't come anywhere close. Indeed, the second-ranked country in terms of total annual military spending, the UK, lags behind, at US$55 billion, followed by France (US$45 billion), Japan (US$41 billion) and Germany (US$35 billion).

China and Russia, which can be considered strategic rivals of the US, spend US$35 billion and US$24 billion, respectively (though these figures probably underestimate expenditure, the true amount is certainly still far below the US level). Iran, depicted by the Bush administration as a major threat, is a military dwarf, spending US$6.6 billion on its military.

With all this worry about costs, hopefully the military is spending smarter, not just harder.  With good military cots, our armed forces can be better prepared for battle without breaking the economy.  The rest of us can do our part, getting folding cots and sleeping cots that show our commitment to help our troops and help America recover financially.

The war will not be won with camping cots and travel cots, but that doesn't mean we can't make a statement with our portable cots that shows our resolve and our patriotism!