Feral Jundi

Friday, November 27, 2009

Call to Action: ISS Call for Abstracts for a Monograph–The Involvement of the Private Security and Military Companies in Peacekeeping Missions

Filed under: Africa,Call To Action,Industry Talk — Tags: , , , , , , — Matt @ 5:35 AM

   Hey guys and gals, this is pretty cool.  I know a few reading this are pretty up on their Africa/PMC history, and this is a great way to show your knowledge of said subject by helping these guys out. The reason I have made this a Call to Action, is because these guys are wishing to enhance the understanding of what it is we do, and can do in Africa. It is just another way to fill that void of information that I keep talking about. –Matt

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Call for Abstracts

ISS Monograph

The Involvement of the Private Security and Military Companies in Peacekeeping Missions

The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) through the Security Sector Governance (SSG) Programme initiated a project on 3 November 2008 on “The Involvement of the Private Security Sector in African Conflicts, Peacekeeping Missions and Humanitarian Assistance Operations”. The project seeks to investigate the involvement of the private security sector in African conflicts, peacekeeping missions and humanitarian assistance operations to inform the development and application of appropriate norms and standards, including the revision of the 1977 OAU Convention on the Elimination of Mercenaries in Africa.

This is a call for abstracts for a Monograph titled The Involvement of the Private Security and Military Companies in Peacekeeping Missions. The main objective for this monograph is to enhance an informed understanding of the role of the private military and security companies in Africa’s peacekeeping missions. Its main focus is to critically explore the trend(s) in the outsourcing of core and non-core military functions as well as the increased role of the private sector particularly in UN and AU peacekeeping missions in Africa.

Abstracts for the Monograph chapters may be submitted to Mr Sabelo Gumedze at sgumedze@issafrica.org by December 11, 2009.  They must include the following details:

1. Title of the proposed paper.

2. Name of the author, organization to which he or she belongs and email address.

3. If there are several authors, please give the particulars of each of them.

Abstracts should average between 500 and 1,000 words.

Authors of accepted abstracts will be notified by December 18, 2009 regarding acceptance of abstracts and will have to submit the definite text of paper. Accepted papers should average between 5, 000 and 10, 000 words and must be submitted by March 31, 2010. Early submission of articles is strongly encouraged. Authors should as far as possible adopt the ISS style guideline.

If you have any queries regarding the submission of abstracts and papers, please contact Mr Sabelo Gumedze at sgumedze@issafrica.org

Link to add here.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Aviation: Contractor Helicopter Missing in Afghanistan

Filed under: Afghanistan,Aviation — Tags: , , , , , , — Matt @ 10:45 AM

      Usually these don’t end well.  I hope they find them alive, if in fact they crashed. My heart goes out to the friends and family of the missing. –Matt

Edit: The crashed helicopter has been found, three dead.  Rest in peace.

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Contractor helicopter missing in Afghanistan

By Jennifer Z. Deaton

November 26, 2009

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) — A search was under way Thursday for a helicopter belonging to a military contractor, NATO officials said.

The helicopter for Supreme Global Service Solutions went missing Tuesday, said Lt. Col. Todd Vician, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.

He did not say how many people were aboard or in what region of the country ISAF was looking for the chopper.

However, the governor of Logar province in eastern Afghanistan said the search’s focus has been the Khar Pech district.

Governor Halim Fedia said he did not have any further information. An official with Supreme Global also could not offer additional details.

Authorities did not receive a distress signal from the chopper, Vician said.

“We are using reconnaissance assets to find it. We can’t go into more than that. We don’t provide detail on ongoing operations,” he said.

Supreme Global, based in the Netherlands, provides food supplies for military and multinational forces.

Story here.

 

Funny Stuff: Security Contractor ‘Captain John Smith’ Has a Children’s Video Game

Filed under: Funny Stuff,Games,History — Tags: , , , , — Matt @ 4:02 AM

     Now in honor of Thanksgiving (U.S. holiday), I figured I would put up an interactive children’s video game about Captain John Smith that National Geographic put together awhile back. lol I did a story about him in regards to being a Useful Contractor and his significance to the survival of the colonies back then, and I thought it would be cool to bring him up again this year.

     Oh, and I shouldn’t forget to mention that other famous security contractor, hired to organize the defense of Plymouth Colony- Capt. Myles Standish. Maybe Myles will get a video game in his honor too? lol –Matt

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Captain John Smith

Play the game here.

Gear Review: Black Friday Deals

Filed under: Cool Stuff,Gear Review — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 2:48 AM

   Hey gang, check it out.  Matt put together this list of Black Friday specials pertinent to our industry, so a big thanks to him.  With the coming surge in Afghanistan and all the maritime security stuff, everyone will be hitting the online stores hard and buying stuff for deployments. So definitely take advantage of any deals now, and I hope these sites still have stuff after the big rush. Also, if any other vendors would like to add their deals to this list, just let me know and I will add it, or you can just put it up in the comments section. –Matt

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SOG Knives -Online Sale Nov. 26th-Dec. 11th TAKE 50% OFF SELECT PRODUCTS! Just use coupon code”WINTER” when ordering.

EOTAC– If you place an online order from November 26 to November 29, you will receive a 25% discount. Enter the following discount code during checkout…. TURKEYDAY

TAG Gear – Thanksgiving Day Sale- 55% off entire site. Even Armor!

Battery Junction – Black Friday 7 Day Blowout Sale – Flashlights, batteries, chargers…

Photon Light – Thanksgiving Sale – 15% off entire site

Boondock Saints Online -IL Duce’s 50% off Black Friday BLOWOUT!!! One day only – Friday the 27th! Enter code “DUCE50” at checkout.

Blade Tech – 25% off everything. Starts Nov 27th, ends Nov 29th.

Blackhawk! – Save an additional 20% off Clearance Items, Now through Nov 30th. Use promo code “BLACKFRIDAY”.

Botach DEFENSE – Save an additional 5% off already discounted items. Use coupon code “BLACKFRIDAY”. And use coupon code “FREESHIPPING” for free shipping on all orders over $100. Now through Nov 30th.

Brownells – Black (Rifle) Friday Sale – Save 10% off all orders over $150 – Sale good from Nov 27th – Nov 30th, Black

Friday to Cyber Monday. Use promo code “CYB”

BDU.com – Six Days of Savings – Take 12% off anything from Wednesday through Monday. Use coupon code “blackfriday”

Mako Group – 30% off anything on the site. Use coupon code “BLK-FRI”. Valid Nov 26th-Nov 30th.

Supply Captain-The sale runs from now until the 29th. The coupon code “TURKEY09” at checkout, which will net you 25% off a purchase over $75.

A big list of other stores and their Black Friday ads here.

Podcasts: Private Contracts Drive Afghan Economy, by Steve Henn

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk,Logistics,Podcasts — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 12:31 AM

   An interesting show about the economics of the coming surge, and where all the money is going over there.  It especially covers the whole paying off the enemy for safe passage, something that I am totally opposed to and I absolutely think we should not be allowing such a thing.

   I mentioned in another article where a Capt. was begging for a fight with the enemy, and using trash talk to get them out in the open.  Well Capt., if you want a fight, then put some men on these convoys so they don’t have to pay off the enemy for survival.  Better yet, use these convoys as a way to get close to the enemy and kill him. If protection money is the top source of income of the enemy, then we must attack this income source and shut it down.

   Also, give these convoy teams (Afghan or Expat) the tools to protect themselves.  It’s just like the piracy issue with the Somalis. The enemy looks at these convoys as easy pickings, as well as a source of income, and that needs to change. Matter of fact, if we started implementing a Q-Boat style strategy, and lure in attackers with really juicy yet lethal convoys, then I guarantee you will change the dynamics of the enemies profit machine.  Right now, the Taliban does not fear the convoy or logistics train.  That needs to change, if in fact we want the Taliban to stop attacking them. Especially now that we plan on surging in thousands of troops with thousands of contractors and tons of supplies flowing in along with. –Matt

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 Private contracts drive Afghan economy

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Private contractors outnumber U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Steve Henn reports these contracts play an important role in the Afghan economy.

TEXT OF STORY

TESS VIGELAND: Next Tuesday President Barack Obama will give a nationally televised address to announce his decision on sending more troops to Afghanistan. Early word is that he will do so. A surge could ultimately mean more than 100,000 soldiers and Marines on the ground. But that’s just a fraction of the U.S. military commitment.

As Marketplace’s Steve Henn reports, private contractors outnumber U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and those contracts are now the driving force behind the Afghan economy.

Listen here.

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