North Carolina is a major military state and has sent more than 125,000 troops to Iraq from bases here since the war began, including more than 7,000 from the state's National Guard units. So the war has had big costs here as well as some direct economic benefits.

How much of the cost of the war can be allotted to North Carolina? One nonprofit group, the National Priorities Project of Massachusetts, calculates the state's share of funding approved so far is $14.2 billion. That does not include indirect societal losses and trickier-to-calculate costs such as the long-term care for the wounded.

How could money have been used differently? The liberal-leaning group breaks down federal budgets to show what they cost at a local level. It calculates North Carolina's share could provide health care for more than three million people for a year, one-year college scholarships for more than 2.8 million students, or build nearly 1,100 elementary schools.

ECONOMIC BENEFITS

* Higher income for soldiers. When troops are serving in Iraq, they get additional pay, and usually their salaries become tax-free. It's not unusual for troops to return and buy a new vehicle or make a down payment on a home.

* Better pay for some members of reserve troops. When they are on temporary active duty, they move from civilian salaries to the military pay system. Those with low-paying civilian jobs can do well. Most who go on active duty do, according to one study.

ECONOMIC COSTS

* Lower pay: Some reserve troops get paid less while serving in the military than they do in civilian jobs.

* Loss of work force: In some cases, small business owners have seen their firms badly hurt by the absence of key employees who are sent overseas.

* Scholarships, health care: The N.C. Division of Veterans Affairs provides college scholarships for the children of veterans killed or disabled during war time and has a health care program for veterans.

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