Private Contractors in IRAQ

[TECH79]

Hi everyone, my girlfriend is doing a report on the film "Iraq for Sale" for her ethics class. Can you please help answer these questions? Thanks.

Have you been personally affected by Private Contractors in Iraq?

What is your experience with Private Contractors in Iraq?

Is there a noticeable presence of Private Contractors in Iraq?

Are you in the Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, or Air Force?

What affects have Private Contractors had on your military job?

 

[SamTuckerMTNMAN]

my only concern

is that private contractors have a potential for abuse by the highest bidder stateside. It concerns me for the future of the country. I know some guys that are awesome, the best I know, but not all of them are. I would hate to see the experience and lessons learned at taxpayer expense get turned on the taxpayers themselves one day in the distant future. . .

 

[Devonai]

Is there a noticeable presence of Private Contractors in Iraq?

Do you include employees of Kellogg, Brown & Root in that definition?

 

[Y.T.]

For those unfamiliar with the concept of mercenary armies.. I recommend reading up on the 30 years war... (1618-1648).

 

[Autolycus]

I have not served nor have I had any experience with private contractors.

However I voted against the idea. I dont like the idea of the government paying private soldiers to do its dirty work. I also am very afraid of the idea when you start having private armies who took no oath in the service of a country. Where is the accountability? Are they given more leeway then regular soldiers? If abuse starts at their hands will the government just claim that they had no idea since these people were a business and not a government entity?

Remember these same contractors were in New Orleans. They had automatic weapons and were allowed to keep their guns while others were not. I just feel that at this point mercenaries (lets call them what they are, not a nice PC name) should not be hired by the US government to fight our wars.

This is my $0.02

 

[USMC - Retired]

Contractors are not all hired guns. As a matter of fact most military contractors never touch weapons as part of their duties. I am currently a contractor for the Marine Corps doing work at a stateside base that frees up active duty Marines for combat duty. Unfortunately most Americans don't understand that fact and the fact that a high percentage of military contractors are either retired military or at least have prior military service. The use of "Contractors" by the military is the result of America not learning from history. After every major conflict we reduce our military strength, and all this has always come back to haunt us. This situation is no different. After the "cold war" we raped our military once more and the result is that in order to maintain a forward deployed fighting force on two fronts (Afghanistan and Iraq) and still maintain a military presence in hot zones (Korea) we must use contracted support to fill the gaps. It's easy to shout from the rafters that we shouldn't have "hired guns" but, unless you’re willing to undermine the strength of the military in forward deployed areas and leave them vulnerable, there is no other choice given today’s military strength. <Stepping down off my soapbox>

 

[Bubbles]

I know several contractors in Iraq. They are not soldiers, nor are they doing that type of work. They are truck drivers, IT people, etc. They are doing logistics and support functions and leaving the soldiers to do the military jobs.

 

[Thin Black Line]

I'm going to assume the OP was in reference to security contractors and
not third country nationals emptying the portajohns.

I have talked with some and met their leadership from different companies.
There are varying levels of professionalism and experience between members
and companies as a whole (don't bother asking me to rank them). For the
most part they seem to operate under a more relaxed ROE than the Army,
but in theory that is to be balanced against their training and experience.
However, you do have everyone from US LEOs to former triple canopy and
this may mean a difference in how they respond to perceived threats. Some
companies have developed a bad reputation for being too quick on the trigger
and p'ing off the Iraqis. This doesn't make things any easier for the rest of
us --contractor or soldier. I haven't seen any problems between the
contractors and those of us in uniform except when the guys in black
suburbans don't think stopping inside the serpentine applies to them when
they're coming up to the gate. Then for some reason they get confused
when a soldier points a weapon at them and fires a warning shot.......

There are good and less than good companies and contractors. Therefore, I
am "indifferent."

 

[Phantom Warrior]

The question needs to be more precise for me to give a good answer. Do you mean armed, mercenary type private contractors specifically or ALL types of private contractors in general?

 

[ksnecktieman]

I worked for a civilian contractor in the states, we worked on military vehicles. We were offered the opportunity to do the same job in Iraq at three times the pay we were getting, the company told us that we would not be allowed to have firearms there.

If by contractors you are talking of laborers, I see no problem with it.

IF you intend to say we have mercenaries over there, and mean them, I would not approve of that.

 

[Striker]

I am one and voted yes.

Having said that, please read carefully USMC- Retired's, Thin Black Line's, Bubbles' and Phantom Warrior's comments. They are germaine to the issue and question(s) you ask.

What kind/type of contractors are you interested in... US Government? Iraqi Government? Business? NGOs? Doing what...security? training? infrastructure repair/rebuild? mentoring? logistics support, humanitarian relief? Permissive vice non-permissive environment?. These are important dynamics to be considered in any discussion of the issue. Draw what conclusions you wish and take any stand you wish, but do so in an informed manner please. I find it interesting that while there are 47 votes in the poll (as of this date), there are only 11 posts with comments.

As for me, I've refused employment offers(with some pretty substantial compensation packages) with several companies who I considered to be less then ethical. I've terminated employees in my current contract who didn't get it. My company has left "money on the table" for proposals considered to be shady. Is my experience unique?....perhaps, but then I've been with the same company (with an ethical philosphy I share) since the beginning of the GWOT.

I was also in New Orleans after Katrina for a month or so, but that is a different story.

Off my soapbox now.

 

[Art Eatman]

Off Topic.