Today, though, “Falcon flew perfectly!!,” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote on Twitter moments after the launch. “Feels like a giant weight just came off my back .” At a press conference held after the launch, Musk said that “every bit of adrenalin in my body released at that point,” and that the elation he felt was like “winning the Super Bowl.” “I would really count today as a success no matter what happens for the rest of the mission.”-National Geographic
This is awesome news and congrats to Elon Musk and the team at SpaceX. The company had to delay the launch by a couple of days due to some issues, but the second time was a charm. Now it will link up with the International Space Station and hopefully that will go without a hitch.
My latest thoughts on the private space industry and security, is that government is now relinquishing it’s monopoly on space. And space, strategically, is the ultimate high ground. My concerns in this case, would be the protection of space property like satellites from those wishing to destroy or hack that stuff. Or state and non-state actors exploiting cyber weaknesses of these systems that control this space hardware. Or worse yet, actually causing crashes or glitches in space launches, as a way to take out the competition in the space market.
Can you imagine a terrorist group, taking control of a rocket like Falcon 9 and crashing that into the ISS? Or plowing it into some key satellite that is vital to national security? Or causing a rocket to fail on launch, and crashing that thing purposely into a population center?
Also, if you look at how much money each launch costs, then you can see how this industry might fire up some serious corporate competition/sabotage. Especially between private companies and countries. If one country is dependent on a private company, and then another country with a state sponsored commercial space program attacks the systems of that private company, all so folks have no where else to go for space launches but that state sponsored commercial program, then you can see how this can play out. This is not to say we will see Russia or China attack SpaceX, but it is definitely something to keep in mind. Especially with cyber attacks.
With that said, I certainly hope SpaceX and others are serious about security, both physical and cyber, because it doesn’t take much to ruin a business plan and mission.-Matt
In his recent coauthored book, Two Lucky People, Mr. Friedman writes that 5 of the 15 commissioners — including himself, Mr. Greenspan, and Mr. Wallis — were against the draft to begin with. Five members were undecided, and 5 were prodraft. Yet when the commission’s report came out less than a year later and became a paperback book, all 15 members favored ending the draft. What happened in between? That’s where Bill Meckling comes in.
This is cool because thanks to the work and ideas of these men, they were able to radically change the way the US was doing business. They ended the idea of a ‘slave army’ or compulsory draft.
Of course there were a lot of things in alignment in order to make that happen back then, namely the Vietnam war, but as you can see with the interview and the story below, it still took some convincing to get folks to change their mind.
I also think it is interesting that the generals of the day, tried to use the ‘mercenary’ concept in the derogatory. That General Westmoreland did not want to command an ‘army of mercenaries’. lol Wow, he went there.
But what is equally interesting is how Milton Friedman shut down and tore apart the General’s argument in a rather Boydian kind of way. (it would have been cool to see Boyd and Friedman debate?)
In his testimony before the commission, Mr. Westmoreland said he did not want to command an army of mercenaries. Mr. Friedman interrupted, “General, would you rather command an army of slaves?” Mr. Westmoreland replied, “I don’t like to hear our patriotic draftees referred to as slaves.” Mr. Friedman then retorted, “I don’t like to hear our patriotic volunteers referred to as mercenaries. If they are mercenaries, then I, sir, am a mercenary professor, and you, sir, are a mercenary general; we are served by mercenary physicians, we use a mercenary lawyer, and we get our meat from a mercenary butcher.“
The other reason why I bring this up, is because I believe this is a crucial part of US warfighting history as to why this industry is so strong and relevant in today’s wars. The ending of the draft, along with a society demanding a peace dividend at the end of wars, are two factors which really drive the necessity of contingency contracting. Meaning, a society that does not have the draft, must have a means of raising an army quickly by other means in order to meet the demands of a war or wars.
At the end of the Cold War and the First Gulf War, we saw large cut backs in the US military. This was the peace dividend that society demanded, and politicians gave them. But what happens when that peace is shattered and a reduced military must be activated? Well everyone knows the story of 9/11 and the last ten years of war that has been fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, and around the world. The requirement for manpower, and the ability to sustain sufficient levels of manpower under an All Volunteer Military regime has been tested. And in my view, the AVM was a success, but with a caveat.
The AVM did have problems raising sufficient manpower during the tough periods of this war. The peek of the Iraq war comes to mind. I mean the military was using stop loss and recalling soldiers in order to get enough bodies out in the field. The news and political debates really showed the violence of that war, and it was a hard sell to a young person to want to be a part of that. In that kind of environment, along with having a ‘military we went to war with, and not the one we wished we had’, we had problems. So how did we make up the difference for manpower? Enter contractors….
You see, contractors are a necessary industry to have, if a Democracy like ours wants to wage war using the AVM concept. And the numbers speak for themselves (please see all of the prior publications on the blog that listed those numbers). What is more important is that private industry did answer the call, and did it ‘willingly’. Contingency contractors did everything from cooking to cleaning, to building and fixing, to training and mentoring, to PSD/Convoy/Static security. And this industry that answered the call, had ‘legions’ of willing participants from all over the world lining up to join the effort. Especially during the peek of the Iraq war. They did it for pay, much like a soldier in the All Volunteer Military gets paid, and they did it for patriotic or idealistic reasons, much like a soldier in an AVM.
I only see this industry becoming more relevant and legitimate as time goes by. I think Milton Friedman would be pretty impressed by how private industry reacted to this need for contingency contracting/manpower in today’s wars. Private industry also reacted in the same way to the equipping and arming of war machines of wars past. What private industry did during WW 2 was beyond belief, and all of those companies that re-tooled and focused for that effort helped the allies win. Private industry is quite the thing when it has direction and incentive.
I also think that the concept called the All Volunteer Military is a misnomer. There is nothing volunteer about it. lol I mean when I hear the term volunteer, I think of it’s definition–’a person who performs a service willingly and without pay’. Today’s military service requires a contract, and the soldier get’s paid and they receive benefits. So I just have a problem when people say that the military is a ‘volunteer’ force. It may not be a ‘slave army’, but it certainly is not an army of volunteers.
I guess under that logic, I am a volunteer as well? Matter of fact, contractors should be tied in directly within the concept of an All Volunteer Military. It’s just we volunteer for a privately run service, and not a publicly run service. But both groups of force, do so out of free will and because of the pay and benefits. So what differentiates both of us?
Well, one way to look at this is to apply my Offense and Defense Industry models to what is going on right now. The military has the monopoly on all Offense Industry. Meaning they are the ones that profit from killing or capturing the enemy. By profit, meaning if they are successful in winning wars and destroying the enemy, then congress blesses the military with more funding. They also get the glory and praise for victory. Those leaders responsible for doing well, also profit by getting promotions and taking those successes with them further on in their careers or life. Winning wars, certainly ups the value of the victors responsible for that.
For Defense Industry, the military does not hold a monopoly. And that is significant. It is private industry that competes with the military when it comes to the defense, in war zones. Everything from cyber security, to standing posts, to training, to PSD, to static security, to convoy operations. Private industry is certainly competing with the military, and they have market share. And like I mentioned up top, the numbers speak for themselves. This blog also lists numerous examples of how private industry operates and flourishes in today’s Defense Industry realm.
I also think the example of Fedex/UPS versus the Postal Service, is a good one to look at when looking at today’s Defense Industry. Both the public and private organizations share the same space, much like how military and contingency contractors share the same space called Defense Industry. But it is in that space, where folks on both sides will fight it out as to how much market share they will get.
It is also funny that there are literally no ‘contractor think tanks’ to promote private industry in war. Nothing. There are blogs like mine, and a few trade associations that promote private industry, but that is it. Not to mention lobbyists, but that goes without saying. Now compare that to what the military has in order to promote what they do? From think tanks to academies to war colleges to numerous military leaders working side by side with politicians–the military is in a far better position to exert influence. Hell, congress gives them money to promote what they do. lol
And yet, with all of that in place….contractors still exist on the battlefield after ten plus years of war. I mean when was the last time you saw a Dyncorp recruitment commercial during the Super Bowl? How about a college or university paid for by private military companies, all with the idea of producing tommorrow’s private military leaders? How about a Letter of Marque Institute, purely dedicated to the promotion of that legal instrument of war?
Yet our industry flourishes, self organizes, learns, continuously improves and competes with others to make a better product or service. It’s either that, or we fail and get left in the dust by our competitors. I am also thankful that this country does not have the draft, and that only in extreme situations would they ever fire up the selective service or draft–to probably save the country. But for today’s wars, an All Volunteer Military (and Contractor Force) works for me. -Matt
Thank You, William H. Meckling
We owe a debt of gratitude to the man who killed the draft.
January 1999
By David Henderson
If you are an American male under age 44, take a moment of silence to thank William H. Meckling, who died last year at age 76. Even though you probably haven’t heard of him, he has had a profound effect on your life. What he did was help to end military conscription in the United States.
Between 1948 and 1973, here’s what you knew if you were a healthy male born in the U.S.A.: the government could pluck you out of almost any activity you were pursuing, cut your hair, and send you anywhere in the world. If the United States was at war, you might have to kill people, and you might return home in a body bag.
COLD DRAFT
Bill Meckling didn’t think that was right, and not just because the Vietnam War was so reckless. He had been drafted into the army in World War II and witnessed the government’s incredibly wasteful use of manpower when it could pay below-market wages. He tucked that lesson away and would use it 25 years later. ?Meckling went on to become an economist. In 1962 he was named the first dean of the University of Rochester’s new business school, where he continued until 1983. ?Meanwhile, a 31-year-old economist named Martin Anderson joined Richard Nixon’s campaign for president in 1967. One of Mr. Anderson’s main goals was to persuade Nixon to end the draft, and he wrote the antidraft campaign speech that Nixon gave in 1968. Mr. Anderson then worked, as one of the new president’s advisers, to end the draft.
This is just cool. Here is a NASA astronaut describing the public-private partnership between SpaceX and NASA with this upcoming logistics mission. Dragon is the name of the supply capsule, mounted on a Falcon 9 rocket, that will be sent to the International Space Station to resupply it. Dragon would be the first commercial spacecraft to perform this mission at the ISS.
Not only that, but government needs SpaceX to get this right. We are talking about delivering the essentials of life–food, etc. and there are people in space who are depending on these deliveries. So all eyes will be on this company and their team of quality control folks, engineers, and everyone in between on getting this thing off the ground and delivering like a champ. (which this will be a really interesting case study for how private industry will do this versus how NASA used to do this–differences, similarities, cost savings, etc.)
What I really enjoyed though was the comparison of today’s public-private partnership, to yesteryear’s use of private industry to support the expansion out west. I have discussed this partnership when it came to scouts and the Army, and Don Pettit’s example of contractors supplying forts is another one.
Not only that, but today’s contractors in the war have been immensely important to the task of supplying military outposts and supporting logistics missions all over. So yes, when I see a government Astronaut talking about contractors and commercial spaceflight, while he is in space, I rate that as pretty awesome. Check it out. -Matt
Diamandis has long talked about creating an ‘exothermic reaction,” — science jargon for a process that releases energy in the form of light or heat, often in the form of an explosion — in space. Curiosity started the space race. Then fear that the Russians would overtake the United States. Now it’s time for greed to play a role. “That’s the only way it’s going to happen irrevocably, I’m trying to start a gold rush,” Diamandis said.
This is all types of cool. The space gold rush is on, and I really think this is the most logical and best approach we can have towards exploring space. Governments should not have the monopoly on space travel, and should encourage entrepreneurial efforts to get up there. Besides, if a company can make money by going up there and actually ‘produce’ something of value for their efforts, then that is far better than just going up there for the hell of it.
From a security point of view, I am very much enthused. The protection of this earth from asteroids or other types of large and deadly space projectiles, is essential to the survival of the human race. We need to be in space in order to master it and our fate. Having companies that specialize in reaching asteroids to mine them, only helps in the process of being able to destroy one of these things if we ever had to. Theory is one thing, but experience and capability is quite another.
Also, if these guys do land some big scores of Platinum or Palladium, and they bring it down to earth, then those companies will soon be extremely wealthy. These companies will require cyber security and physical security in order to protect their hard fought intellectual property. Or if they find new elements, and those elements lead to some fantastic discoveries in technology, then small armies will be required to protect that. The launch facilities and manufacturing plants will also need the type of security on order with what nuclear plants have, or what NASA had.
The other point I wanted to make, was the use of X Prize or contests in order to invigorate the process of innovation for space exploration. This approach is powerful and creating innovations by leaps and bounds. It is the thrill of profit and bragging rights that fuel these innovations and collaborations within these companies. It is a big game, and competition between all of the players makes this fun and focused. These elements of contest, are exactly why I continue to explore offense industry for warfare. And especially using offense industry to stop piracy (online or ocean), criminal organizations, and terrorists.
This brings up another point. In the commons called space, eventually we will see criminal elements take advantage. Imagine hacking a mining drone and then having that thing being directed to land on earth in a place where the hacker knows the owners cannot reach? Or they could demand ransom for that vessel. Imagine hackers attacking these highly complex space travel computer systems and sabotaging competitors, or stealing intellectual property?
If these companies do in fact bring back trillions of dollars worth of riches, then there will be those who will want to take it. It is what happened during the early days of ocean exploration between governments, pirates, and privateers. It is what happened during the expansion out west in America with the gold rush. It happened and continues to happen in places like Africa, and it will happen in one form or another with space. It is just a matter of time and security will be essential in order to make space mining possible.
Either way, check it out and let me know what you think. This is an awesome and exciting time period, and I will be cheering these guys on. Companies mentioned are Moon Express and Planetary Resources Inc. -Matt
Moon Express lander test vehicle. (Credit: Moon Express)
Planetary Resources Co-Founder Aims To Create Space ‘Gold Rush’
Brian Caulfield
4/20/2012
Earlier this year, entrepreneur and X-Prize impresario Peter Diamandis hinted he was about to unveil something amazing: a startup that will mine asteroids for precious metals.
“Since my childhood I’ve wanted to do one thing, be an asteroid miner,” Diamandis told Forbes. “So stay tuned on that one.”
It looks like Diamandis may be about to push the launch button on the idea.
Backed by a group including Google Chief Executive Larry Page, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, filmmaker James Cameron, former Microsoft Chief Architect Charles Simonyi, and Ross Perot Jr., Planetary Ventures will unveil its plans Tuesday at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.
To be sure, no one has said publicly — yet — that the new venture Diamandis is involved with will mine asteroids, but there are more than a few clues pointing in that direction.
The startup will be led by a team including former NASA Mars mission manager Chris Lewicki; co-founder Eric Anderson, co-founder of the International Space University; and Diamandis, whose X-Prize Foundation kicked off the commercial space tourism industry by awarding a $10 million prize to Paul Allen and Burt Rutan’s SpaceShipOne effort.
“The company will overlay two critical sectors – space exploration and natural resources – to add trillions of dollars to the global GDP,” according to a press release teasing the announcement. “This innovative start-up will create a new industry and a new definition of ‘natural resources.’”
Diamandis has long talked about creating an ‘exothermic reaction,” — science jargon for a process that releases energy in the form of light or heat, often in the form of an explosion — in space.
Curiosity started the space race. Then fear that the Russians would overtake the United States. Now it’s time for greed to play a role. “That’s he only way it’s going to happen irrevocably, I’m trying to start a gold rush,” Diamandis said.
It’s not as crazy as it may sound to some. Space scientists have long talked about mining asteroids, which could be rich in rare earths essential to the electronics industry.
Many of these rocks get awfully close: last November 8, for example, a 400-meter wide rock dubbed asteroid 2005 YU55 will passed within 201,000 miles of the earth. The average distance to the moon: 240,000 miles.
Depending on their orbit, some asteroids could be mined for a few years, and then abandoned before they zip out of reach. Others might be slowed and eased into near earth orbit.??Just securing gear in the low-gravity environment of an asteroid could be a challenge, however, with scientists weighing options ranging from harpooning asteroids to burrowing in with rotating screws.
Once secure, machinery could scrape the loose rocks on the surface of the asteroid; vaporize asteroids composed of ices and hydrocarbons; or cut and crush through asteroids composed of harder silicates and metal.
Figure out a way to extract those resources could create the world’s first trillionaire. “If I have a near-term shot at becoming a billionaire it probably be through my interest in asteroid mining,” Diamandis says.
But while greed may be the mechanism, it’s probably not Diamandis’ motive, say those who know him.
Robert Zubrin, chairman of the Mars Foundation, compares Peter Diamandis to Delos David Harriman, the protagonist of Robert Heinlein’s “The Man Who Sold The Moon.”
Harriman hyped the idea of riches on the moon to create a gold rush. Like Harriman, Diamandis sees capitalism as the force that will finally coax humanity off the planet.
“He’s not doing what he’s doing for greed,” Zubrin says of Diamandis. “It’s like Columbus selling Ferdinand and Isabella on the spice route to India, I think Columbus just wanted to go sailing; Diamandis is into opening the space frontier because he’s into opening the space frontier.”
Moon Express Details Plans to Mine the Moon
Moon Express, a Google Lunar X PRIZE contender, announced that it has successfully delivered a mission design package to NASA under its Innovative Lunar Demonstration Data (ILDD) Program, providing NASA continuing data on the development of the company’s commercial lunar missions and plans to mine the Moon for precious planetary resources. The newest task order in the $10M ILDD contract called for Moon Express to provide NASA with data about the company’s progress through a Preliminary Design Checkpoint Technical Package that documents details of mission operations, spacecraft development, payload accommodations and Planetary Protection Plans.
Now this guy is interesting. He is famous for going to Libya and fighting for the rebels there. He was also captured, then released after 5 1/2 months as a POW, and then went back to the front lines to fight again.
He also enlisted in the National Liberation Army and was assigned the position of being the the DShK gunner. Although he claims to have not accepted any payment for his service, his experiences will definitely have value when he writes a book and does a documentary about it all. Hell, even a movie would not be out of the question. Call it the Hemingway method of war volunteerism–which turned out to be quite profitable for ‘papa’ in later years.
Which brings up the next deal about Matt. He has a website complete with Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube accounts. So he is going full bore on promotions of his work and future work. Not only that, but he has started a blog complete with free email subscription.
Now the question you are probably wondering is if he plans on going to Syria to fight? I know he follows the situation there and has hinted about going back to the middle east, but I have not heard anything about him going there specifically. But you never know?
The other cool little tidbit is that he stopped in at Tim’s guest house in Afghanistan during his motorcycle trip. I wish him well and he definitely gets the Feral Jundi award for best pro-bono security contractor last year. lol -Matt
This is a great resource and I highly recommend checking out this site. SOFREP is a website authored by some fantastic writers who are all veterans of the special operations community. If you follow Feral Jundi on facebook, or are a reader of such sites as Kit Up, you will recognize a few of them. Definitely check them out if you are interested in this aspect of military operations and like them on FB if you are active there. Also, if you have an RSS reader, here is their feed. -Matt
Brandon Webb, Executive Media Director
Jack Murphy, USASOC Editor
Bill Janson, MARSOC Editor
Glen Doherty, NSWC Editor
Laura Simonian, Media Coordinator
Contributing Editors – Fire Support
Clinton Emerson
Sean Nack
Steve Speirs
Mike Ritland
ORGANIZED FOR VICTORY!!! SOFREP.COM (Special Operations Forces Report) is the number one site for authentic, accurate, and timely information related to the US and Allied Special Operations Community. In addition to daily reports and edgy media content, we offer an in-depth Special Operations “Wiki”. We have taken content from all of the US SOCOM component commands and customized it in a way that is easy to understand and navigate.
What Makes us Unique?
Typical news and media sites provide perspective about the Special Operations Forces (SOF) community and have no Special Operations background or understanding of our community. This lack of understanding leads to fundamental errors in reporting on SOF current events . Until now…..
A Unified Team of Operators
For the first time a group of former US SOCOM Operators have united as one team. We represent all branches of Special Operations; Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC), Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC), and US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC). Our Editors are ALL former Special Operations personnel with combat experience; they are responsible for managing their respective branch content and keeping the cultural integrity and authenticity intact. What does this mean to you? It means that you are getting SOF news and information straight from the experts.
This is where interested individuals go to learn about all branches of the Special Operations community. Want to learn about Air Force Special Operations? Go to AFSOC. Want to compare Army SOF to Navy SOF? Go into USASOC or NSWC to get personal perspective and decide what community best suits your interests. What is Marine Corps Special Operations about? Click Marsoc. Concerned parent? Send us a Comms Check and ask a real operator that’s been there done that.
SOFREP TV
Look for exciting short series shows like our very own Inside The Team Room and Behind the Brand. These shows are directed and produced in house. Inside The Team Room will launch in April so stay tuned.
War Room
The War Room is the place to go for unique and legitimate content about Special Operations history and current events.
If you are a Special Operations enthusiast, future Special Operations candidate, or just a veteran just looking to re-connect, you finally have one simple resource to turn to for legitimate perspective. The Team and I welcome you to the site and appreciate your participation and contribution as a SOFREP Team member.
Editor-in-Chief
Brandon Webb (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Class 215)
Now imagine each one of these quadrotors armed with a small explosive payload? Maybe even use their larger cousins that we saw being used in Libya. (imagine EFP’s mounted to the belly of a larger quadrotor?) Then use them ‘kamakazee style’ for a massive swarm attack or to support an ambush. In other words, it is research like this that is quickly making this stuff a reality. -Matt
Very cool. If you are a fan of Executive Outcomes or a student of private military companies and their uses for war fighting, then this is your book. I have not read this book yet, but this is definitely on my list for Christmas. lol
I would be interested to hear what others have to say if they have read it. I am particularly intrigued with the idea of leading a modern private military force for offensive operations, and all of the unique challenges associated with that endeavor. There is much written about modern military leadership during combat operations, but very little written about modern private military leadership as it applies to combat operations.
It is also a unique study on the true potential of PMC’s, and this kind of insight would give any author, film maker or video game developer some extremely valuable information as to how this type of force really works. The book will be in the Jundi Gear store if anyone wants to find it again in the future. -Matt
Four Ball, One Tracer: Commanding Executive Outcomes In Angola And Sierra Leone
By Roelf van Heerden as told to Andrew Hudson
Book Description
Publication Date: June 2012
Brutally honest and devoid of hyperbole, this is Roelf van Heerden’s Executive Outcomes. / Unapologetic, unassuming and forthright, the combat exploits of Executive Outcomes (EO) in Angola and Sierra Leone are recounted for the first time by a battlefield commander who was physically on the ground during all their major combat operations. From fighting UNITA for the critical oil installations and diamond fields of Angola to the offensive against the RUF in Sierra Leone to capture the Kono diamond fields and the palace coup which ousted Captain Valentine Strasser, van Heerden was at the forefront. He tells of the tragedy of child soldiers, illegal diamond mining and the curse of government soldiers who turn on their own people; he tells of RUF atrocities, the harrowing attempt to rescue a downed EO pilot and the poignant efforts to recover the remains of EO soldiers killed in action. Coupled with van Heerden’s gripping expose’, hitherto unpublished photographs, order of battle charts and battle maps offer unprecedented access to the major actions as they took place on the ground during the heydays of EO.
Buy the book here.
Last, but not least, comes security. Private security firms will have to protect the population in the new cities. Honduras is one of the world’s more corrupt countries, in 129th place out of 183 in a survey of outsiders’ perceptions by Transparency International, a Berlin-based lobby group. It also has the region’s highest murder rate. The local police have a poor reputation. Last month 176 police officers were arrested in a corruption crackdown.
This is the part that I thought was most relevant. Because without security, business will not come to this Charter City. If they cannot trust the police or have to worry about being extorted all of the time, then that won’t work as well. Not to mention the cartels and their interest in the city. So private security or a private police force will be essential to making this work.
Over at the Charter Cities blog, here is their statement on security for this deal. RED stands for la Región Especial de Desarrollo.
Q: Will the RED rely exclusively on private security? A: Though the RED has the option to make use of private security, policing services will not come exclusively or even primarily from private entities. The RED government will establish an independent police force and can use several public channels to ensure fair and effective policing, including the option of enlisting a trusted foreign police authority to train officers and hold police leadership accountable.
Interesting stuff and I will keep an eye out on how this turns out. Who knows, maybe the RED will be the go to place for work in Central America, and this could turn into the next Hong Kong? -Matt
Hong Kong in Honduras
An ambitious development project aims to pull a Central American country out of its economic misery. Can it work?
Dec 10th 2011
TRUJILLO is a sleepy backwater, but one with a lot of history. The beautiful bay surrounded by lagoons and mountains on the northern coast of Honduras was where Christopher Columbus set foot on the American continent during his fourth voyage in 1502. But in a few decades, it might be known for something entirely different: being the Hong Kong of the West. Scores of skyscrapers and millions of people could one day surround the natural harbour. The new city could dominate Honduras, today one of the poorest and most crime-ridden countries in Central America, becoming a magnet for most of the region’s migrants.
Contractor Casualty Statistics The Department of Labor Defense Base Act Claims Cumulative Report By Employer From 09/01/2001 to 09/30/2011 Killed: 2,871 (DEA) Wounded: 74,571 (NLT, LTO, LT4) Companies: 1936
Today, there is much attention, respect and remembrance for military veterans of war across the world. And they deserve that. But what is not heard or given thought to, is the great amount of sacrifice, contribution, and heroism given by our civilian veterans around the world during times of war.
Now personally, I am a military veteran and war veteran, but I am also a civilian veteran whom has worked extensively in the war. I have also lost co-workers in this war as a civilian veteran, and those losses and their sacrifice will never be forgotten to me. It is the same for all civilian veterans whom have worked in the war zones and lost friends and co-workers. On Memorial Day, and days like this, contractors all go through the same process mentally of recognizing our military veterans, but also recognizing the work of their fellow contractors in this war.
And one of the more interesting facts of the war is that there are a percentage of contractors that are not military veterans at all. Danger Zone Jobs was able to get a statistic about such a thing. Out of the group of contractors polled in their survey, 37.3% of them did not have any prior military service. Now how closely this matches the overall contractor history in this industry, is up for debate.
The other data point of interest, that no one has really been able to figure out, is how many civilian have served in the war over the last ten years. Although it would be safe to say that those numbers probably match that of the military. The current numbers of contractors in the war zones are at about 175,000. So that is 175,000 folks that deserve our thanks for stepping up and serving in the war zone, despite the dangers and hardships. That is also 175,000 civilian veterans that have friends and families, all praying for their safety every day. Wives, husbands, girlfriends, boyfriends, sisters, brothers, daughters, and sons–all proud and supportive of their loved one’s service in the war. And they should be.
Not to mention all of the civilian veterans out there that have been wounded, and some grievously. It troubles me that my nation, or any nation out there, is not taking the time to recognize the service of these civilian veterans that I speak of.
I am here to give thanks to our military veterans. But on this day, I will also recognize our civilian veterans, and that is the least I can do. -Matt
Ed Stiles, 91, said better pay and the whiff of possible adventure prompted him to overlook the risks of volunteering for combat duty with the famed Flying Tigers of World War II.
BALAD, IRAQ. An Australian doctor in the Balad Air Force base in Iraq photographs United States private contractor Jake Guevara. Insurgents ambushed Guevara, along with his team, when they went to pick up people from the embassy, and one of his team was shot and killed instantly. Hundreds of wounded soldiers have come through the military hospital for emergency treatment since the siege of Falujah began in early November.
Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day and Veterans Day) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth countries. Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November to recall the official end of World War I on that date in 1918; hostilities formally ended “at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month” of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice (“at the 11th hour” refers to the passing of the 11th hour, or 11:00 a.m.)
The day was specifically dedicated by King George V on 7 November 1919 as a day of remembrance of members of the armed forces who were killed during World War I. This was possibly done upon the suggestion of Edward George Honey to Wellesley Tudor Pole, who established two ceremonial periods of remembrance based on events in 1917.
The red remembrance poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day due to the poem “In Flanders Fields”. These poppies bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I, their brilliant red colour an appropriate symbol for the blood spilled in the war.
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