PARAMETERS
US Army War College Quarterly
Autumn 2008, Vol. XXXVIII, No. 3
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Contractors: The New Element of Military Force Structure
By Mark Cancian
From Parameters, Autumn 2008, pp. 61-77.
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Conclusion
There is still a great deal of hand-wringing related to “relying on mercenaries” and nostalgia about returning to an all-military warfighting force. As a result many are in denial with regard to contractors. But it is time to move forward. The experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan have shown what future conflict will look like when fought by an all-volunteer force. On the whole the record is vastly superior to the experience in Vietnam, a war fought by a conscript Army.
Gone are the mutinies, “fraggings,” drug abuse, and indiscipline that marred the Vietnam force, particularly in the latter phases of the war when America’s support had waned. Contractors are part of what makes the all-volunteer force viable in an extended conflict.
An analogy can be made to the use of reserve units. For most of the twentieth century reservists were regarded as second-string players who would be useful only in an emergency. The active-duty force was much easier to train, employ, and control. Gradually, however, driven by necessity, planners learned how to integrate reserve forces to the point where such actions are now routine. The same evolution should take place for contractors. The issue is not whether we need them—we do—the real issue is how rapidly can we build the structures, doctrine, and strategy to employ them effectively.
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Why Contractor Fatalities
Matter
Steven L. Schooner
From Parameters, Autumn 2008, pp. 78-91.
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The true US death toll in Iraq and Afghanistan recently reached the 6,000 threshold. But that is not what the media are reporting and as a result, the public remains generally unaware. At the end of July 2008, mainstream media reported that 4,673 service members have died in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Counting only military fatalities, however, understates the human cost of America’s engagements in these regions by nearly a fourth. On the modern, outsourced battlefield, contractors are sustaining injuries and fatalities in increasing numbers. Specifically, the losses chronicled in The Washington Post’s ongoing “Faces of the Fallen” series1 fail to recognize the little-known fact that, as of 30 June 2008, more than 1,350 civilian contractor personnel had died in Iraq and Afghanistan in support of US military and political operations. Another 29,000 contractors have been injured; more than 8,300 seriously.2 Yet contractor fatalities (and injuries) remain generally outside the public’s consciousness.3
Given the extent of the military’s reliance upon contractors in the combat zones, a combined number of fatalities that exceeds 6,000 is a more accurate tally of the fallen. Apprising the American public of the human cost associated with military operations is critically important. This is especially true as the United States prepares for a post-election transition; transparency will inform discussions regarding the extent to which Americans are willing to outsource in fulfillment of the government’s mandate, at home and abroad.