A recent DoD survey indicates that although most officials in Afghanistan who have experience with private security contractors believe they make a positive contribution to the United States’ mission in this war-torn country, this view is not universal and some misconceptions and unfair perceptions persist. For more than ten years, advocates have argued that contractors give the U.S. military an …
Laws Affecting Contractors: The Proposed “Civilian Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act”
Most likely in the hope that the move would breathe life into the stalled Senate version of the same bill, U.S. Representative David Price (D-NC) introduced House Resolution 5339, a proposal that could have a significant impact for contractors serving in Afghanistan and elsewhere. The measure expands federal criminal jurisdiction to acts that occur outside the United States, and more …
Update on American Presence in Afghanistan
With the Taliban as entrenched today as it was prior to the U.S. invasion in 2001, planned troop withdrawals may not follow the plan that politicians have envisioned, particularly now that there is a new sheriff in town. After ninety days in-country as the top Army commander, U.S. Army Gen. John W. Nicholson, who has three years in the theater …
Contractors Now Outnumber Troops in Afghanistan Three to One
Even as the number of servicemembers in the war-torn country has dwindled to under 9,000, there are still over 29,000 contractors in-country, according to the Congressional Research Service. Curiously, only about 10% of these contractors perform security services. Since fiscal 2007, the DoD has spent over $220 billion for contractors in the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters. Both the numbers are …
The Impact of Conflict on Contractor Lives
Some former contractors recently opened up to share their experiences about what went on in Iraq, and while their stories differed, some common themes emerged. While admitting that their motive to become contractors was at least partially financial, they all resisted the “mercenary” label, pointing out that mercenaries have no philosophical connection to the fighting and would take up arms …