Feral Jundi

At any given time, Spoehr said, there are 55 convoys of 30 to 50 vehicles shipping equipment out of the country – that’s about 1,650 vehicles.  He believes the only comparable operation of such size and scope occurred during World War II.   Logistical teams keep track of every convoy’s movement in much the same way that air traffic controllers hand off control of planes in the sky.

This is a story that needs to be told.  Contractors are currently being called upon for a massive logistics operation to get stuff out of Iraq before this December deadline. They are also being called upon to secure and continue the convoys coming in to Iraq to supply the massive diplomatic mission there.  And with ‘zero’ troops to do that supply job, this industry is quickly stepping in to fill that security and logistics vacuum.

So bravo to all of you contractors out there that are assisting in these operations. You are a vital part of this phase of the war and the future of Iraq diplomatic missions, and if no one else will recognize that contribution, then at least I can do that here on the blog.

Also, that is interesting about Olive Group North America. I didn’t know they had this contract. Although I have found nothing on their website to indicate they are looking for folks and maybe they have subcontracted locally or something? Here is the quote:

The firm, Olive Group North America, has had a contract to supply 10 convoy escort teams since July 2011, according to the Army notice. It will now take over security for shipments coming from Kuwait while gradually building up to 45 convoy escort teams.
The cost of the contract, as well as the number of armored vehicles and armed security personnel that make up a convoy escort team, has been redacted from the notice. However, an earlier version of the contract indicated that each team should consist of three to five lightly armored vehicles and be accompanied by an 11-person armed security team.

Interesting information and if anyone has anything to add, please do so in the comments. –Matt

In Iraq, U.S. turns to more private contractors
By Walter Pincus
11/08/2011
As American troops head out of Iraq, U.S. officials are being forced to bring in more private security contractors.
The withdrawal of the remaining troops from Iraq — 33,000 at last count — has caused U.S. officials to move quickly to fill a series of security gaps to ensure the continued protection of American diplomatic personnel as well as U.S. goods.
The latest example comes from the Army, which said in a recent notice that it has increased the number of contracted security teams hired to escort convoys of food and fuel coming in from Kuwait.
The U.S. military had previously provided security for truckers hired by the Defense Logistics Agency for such convoys, and the truckers’ contracts require that they have security escorts.
In justifying the expanded contract, the Army said that if it were forced to delay the hiring of more contractors, “the U.S. military would have to stay in theater longer than planned to provide the escorts and postpone their re-deployment operation.”
Getting food and fuel from Iraqi sources was not an option.
Purchasing those items “off the local economy is unacceptable,” the Army said, given that there “isn’t enough time for an assessment team to travel through Iraq and identify approved sources to purchase food.”
As a result, the Army said it was turning to a private security contractor that already had been supplying security for food and fuel convoys in Iraq. The firm, Olive Group North America, has had a contract to supply 10 convoy escort teams since July 2011, according to the Army notice. It will now take over security for shipments coming from Kuwait while gradually building up to 45 convoy escort teams.
The cost of the contract, as well as the number of armored vehicles and armed security personnel that make up a convoy escort team, has been redacted from the notice. However, an earlier version of the contract indicated that each team should consist of three to five lightly armored vehicles and be accompanied by an 11-person armed security team.
The Army’s notice does note one other side effect of the departure of U.S. troops.
Without American military convoys, fuel trucks from the local economy will no longer be permitted onto U.S. sites because of the “catastrophic risk” they could be carrying explosives.
Story here.
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General: ‘Vast Majority’ of US Troops Out of Iraq by Mid-December
Nov 3, 2011
For the first time,  a U.S. military official is saying on the record that the “vast majority” of U.S. troops will be out of Iraq by mid-December, ahead of the end-of-year withdrawal deadline.
Maj. Gen. Thomas Spoehr told Pentagon reporters today that  he could not provide specific timetables about the pace of the drawdown, though he revealed that most U.S. troops would be out by mid-December

“I think it’s clear to me that by the time we get to about mid-December or so, the vast majority of the U.S. forces in Iraq, we plan to have them withdrawn fom Iraq by that time, ” said Spoehr, who is the deputy commanding general for support for U.S. Forces-Iraq.
He emphasized that the huge effort to remove all American troops and their equipment  by year’s end was “not a rush to the exits.” He characterized the troop reduction as taking place “in a measured fashion”  and said the withdrawal plan is flexible enough to allow for any bad weather that might delay troop movements.
“My belief is that the U.S. forces will easily meet their commitments under the security agreement and have all of our forces withdrawn by [Dec. 31],” said Spoehr.
As an indicator of how fast the drawdown is taking place right now, Spoehr said there are now 33,000 U.S. troops in Iraq,  down from 39,000 last week and 43,000 a month ago.
According to Spoehr, most departing troops are being flown out of Iraq to Kuwait via major air hubs, such as Baghdad and other bases.  In Kuwait, they wait for the military aircraft that will transport them to the United States, though a small number are being flown directly back to the U.S. from Iraq aboard charter aircraft.
Some troops are also departing by ground to Kuwait, though they are usually the ones that will be providing security for the convoys.
At any given time, Spoehr said, there are 55 convoys of 30 to 50 vehicles shipping equipment out of the country – that’s about 1,650 vehicles.  He believes the only comparable operation of such size and scope occurred during World War II.   Logistical teams keep track of every convoy’s movement in much the same way that air traffic controllers hand off control of planes in the sky.
The majority of the military’s equipment is being driven to Kuwait in logistical convoys of commercial vehicles that carry Humvees, MRAPs [Mine Resistant Armored Protection vehicles] and trucks.
Massive security efforts are being undertaken to protect the convoys as they proceed south to Kuwait.  Planned routes are swept for roadside bombs prior to the vehicles hitting the road, and Iraqi security forces are providing security along the flanks of the convoy routes.  Each convoy also has some American troops riding along in MRAP’s to provide force protection.
Story here.