“The nation’s military services really are going to spend over $25 billion on music bands in the coming years,” Lexington Institute COO and industry consultant Loren Thompson said.

After adjusting that figure for inflation and other factors, Thompson projects the nominal costs of the bands will approach $50 billion — a price tag he derided as “ridiculous.”…

The $50 billion tab calculated by Thompson includes travel for band members, salaries and a range of personnel costs.

The sheer number of military bands helps explain the projected total.