The Daily Price of “Boots on the Ground”The fiscal reality of deploying a single service member is far more complex than a simple paycheck. According to the CBO, the cost to maintain one National Guard member on active federal status for domestic operations ranges from $311 to $607 per day. In Washington, D.C., where approximately 2,690 Guard members remain stationed, the operation is hemorrhaging roughly $1 million per day. Federalized Guard members are generally prohibited from performing actual law enforcement duties, such as making arrests or conducting searches. ConclusionAs the federal defense budget surpasses the $1 trillion mark for the first time in history, the scrutiny over domestic troop spending is intensified.