When a nation goes to war, uniformed military personnel are not the only people contributing to the effort, even in the zone of combat itself. While the deployment of private contractors in the company of military forces is hardly a new development – early artillery of the 16th century was kept supplied and even crewed by civilian contractors until the …
Employees of US Contractors Who Die Abroad From “Unnatural” Causes Entitled to Benefits Under the Defense Base Act
According to a recent piece in BloombergBusiness, over 8,000 American citizens died from unnatural causes while traveling abroad during the past ten years. The cause of many of these deaths are rather ordinary. Accidents lead the list in Canada, car accidents are the top cause in much of South America, motorcycle accidents are the top killer in Vietnam, Indonesia, and …
Defense Base Act (DBA) May Provide Compensation for Victims Employed Doing Work for the U.S. Government
The tragic case of Kayla Mueller, the American aid worker kidnapped by ISIS and repeatedly sexually assaulted by its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, highlights the dangers facing overseas aid and relief workers. Sadly, reporting by the UK Guardian demonstrates that Mueller’s case, though shocking in its extremity, is hardly unique. While the true extent of the problem is hard to …
U.S. Law Provides for Compensation to Persons Contracted by the United States to Provide Relief Work Abroad
The country of Nepal was devastated by earthquakes on April 25 and May 12 of this year. Over 8,000 people were killed and over 14,000 injured. More than 530,000 buildings destroyed. The U.S. Government has provided aid and assistance equaling almost $47,000,000 in aid as of May 19. In any major relief effort, however, more than dollars flow across borders: …
Contractors in a Conflict Zone: The Defense Base Act
The rise of ISIS in Iraq has prompted renewed U.S. involvement in military operations there, including the deployment of limited numbers of American troops. The deployment of personnel to such a volatile and dangerous locale as Iraq is likely to produce injuries and, unfortunately, casualties. Naturally, we think in terms of military personnel when considering such dangers. But soldiers, saliors, …