Thursday, December 30, 2010
Cool Stuff: DynCorp Employee James Boyd Honored For Heroic Efforts In Afghanistan
James’s portrait is not up yet on this website, but when it does come up I will put the word out. If you follow the link below for the ‘100 Faces of War Experience’, you will see what these portraits are all about. To have a DynCorp guy being represented on this website is really cool and an honor for the company and this industry. –Matt
DynCorp Employee Honored for Heroic Efforts in Afghanistan
By John Adams
December 29, 2010
DynCorp International police trainer James Boyd will be recognized in the “100 Faces of War Experience” portrait in honor of his actions during an insurgent attack on his outpost in Afghanistan earlier this year.
While embedded with the U.S. military, Boyd’s outpost came under fire from a group of insurgents. Boyd repeatedly braved bullets and bombs, scrambling back-and-forth across the compound to get medical bags and stretchers, lend aid and supported the team working to keep the enemy from breaching the compound wall.
According to the firm, “Boyd has supported efforts to train the Afghan border police under DI’s contract with the Department of State’s Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) since Nov. 2009.”
“The civilian police mentors and trainers that we have working in Afghanistan and around the world exhibit quiet acts of heroism every day,” said Don Ryder, DI vice president of the company’s training, mentoring and security programs. “James’ dedication to the mission and to helping others is a great example of the selfless contributions being made by those deployed overseas in Afghanistan and Iraq. It is fitting that he will be honored in this exhibit.”
“A lot of people have asked about my efforts that day,” Boyd said. “I’m a trained police officer and when something like this happens, while most people react by running away from danger, we are trained to run toward it and see how we can help. That is what I did.”
Legal News: Fitzsimons Goes On Trial In Iraq Charged With Killing Two Colleagues
Who knows how this case will go? If any legal folks out there have an idea on how this might go down, I would be interested in hearing your opinion on this. –Matt
Briton goes on trial in Iraq charged with killing two colleagues
Wednesday 29 December 2010
A British security contractor charged with killing two of his colleagues after an argument in Baghdad’s Green Zone has gone on trial in Iraq.
Danny Fitzsimons, 29, from Middleton, Manchester, is charged with shooting dead another Briton, Paul McGuigan, and an Australian, Darren Hoare, in August 2009 and wounding an Iraqi guard while fleeing.
All were working for the British security firm ArmorGroup Iraq.
He is the first westerner to go on trial in an Iraqi court since a 2009 US-Iraqi security agreement lifted immunity for foreigners, and faces the death penalty if convicted.
Fitzsimons, a former soldier who served in the Parachute regiment, was in court as the guard, Arkan Mahdi Saleh, told a three-judge panel he saw Fitzsimons with a pistol before he was shot.
“I was standing at a guard post when I heard some movements behind me,” said Saleh, 33. “When I turned back to check, I saw Fitzsimons with a pistol in his hand and aiming at me.”
Fitzsimons stood behind a wooden fence with two security guards closely watching him.
At one point he asked a judge for permission to speak, but the request was refused. “I’ve got a lot to say,” Fitzsimons told his lawyer after the court adjourned.
Written testimonies from three foreign security contractors said they saw the three men drinking and quarrelling inside one of the caravans where they lived.
The case was adjourned until 23 January.
Story here.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Job Tips: Secure Aspects Job Board Is Now Formated For Smart Phones
This is good to hear and I am glad they are going this route. To have a smart phone friendly job board website to browse is handy and makes it easier to read for those out there that use these phones. Check it out. –Matt
From the Director of Operations
We have been busy updating our job board to provide a better service to our users. The biggest and most exciting feature we have added is our special designed theme for our smart phone users. The Secure Aspects Group Job Board now automatically recognizes if you are accessing our site from a smart phone and will re-direct you to a smart phone friendly layout.
Give it a try and let us know how it is working for you… Use your smart phone and go here.
Quotes: “Nation States No Longer Have A Monopoly On Military Force….”
This article just rehashes everything that I have posted previously about the Saracen International contract in Somalia. What is quote worthy though is this gem below. The last sentence really cracked me up.
Pass this one around folks, and I put this up on the Facebook Page for FJ as well. Hell, I would even say that this is the quote of the year. lol –Matt
“Nation states no longer have a monopoly on military force, intelligence, diplomacy or anything else,” Mr. Clarridge said. “What’s going on in Somalia, where you have skilled contractors training a counter-piracy force, is an example of where the future of the military is going. No government or group of governments can get their act together to do it, but someone has to do it, and they are doing it.”- Duane Clarridge, From The Article “Private Firm Trains Somalis To Scuttle Pirates“, December 28, 2010