Feral Jundi

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

News: President Obama and the Future of Security Contracting

Filed under: Industry Talk,News — Tags: , — Matt @ 3:01 AM

    Now that Obama is President, what exactly are his views about about the security contracting industry?  I know Obama wants out of Iraq, and soon, but how would he go about it in January of next year?  Will he implement a 16 month draw down, like he promised during his campaign?  And if he does pull the troops out of Iraq in this fashion, how will he deal with the other non-military programs and reconstruction deals going on in Iraq?(read the SIGIR statement below, second story) 

    With that said, here are some interesting stories that give food for thought as to how Obama might view security contractors.  The way I see it, it will be kind of hard for him not to use us for a withdrawal plan in Iraq, unless he wants things messy.   

   Or let’s say he stays the course in Iraq.  And if the SOFA is agreed upon, then it is all systems go and we do a slow, ‘results’ oriented draw down(out by 2011 I believe).  In this case, we will still need guys for the TWISS, GRD, and CMD programs over there, unless Obama is magically able to produce troops to fill the ranks of all positions over there.  I don’t see it. 

   Then there are the troop numbers.  If Obama wants to get rid of us, then he will have to increase troop numbers some how, and dramatically.  Recruiting has not been easy, just to get the guys and gals we have now.  If he wants to get more recruits, then they will probably have to pay higher salaries to attract those youths that voted for Obama in the first place.  I don’t see it personally, because going to Iraq or Afghanistan is not the popular thing with today’s youth. And seeing how the youth vote was Obama’s bread and butter, I just don’t see him trying to sell the military to them.  Maybe not, and we’ll see.

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News: Blackwater Closes Vehicles Division, Lays Off Employees

Filed under: News — Tags: , , , — Matt @ 1:11 AM

 

The Grizzly

The Grizzly JLTV. 

 

Blackwater Closes Vehicles Division, Lays Off Employees

By kris osborn

Published: 3 Nov 

Blackwater USA has closed its vehicle operation after unsuccessfully bidding for contracts to build Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV) and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, company officials said Nov. 2.

The Grizzly was a candidate for JLTV contracts. 

The Moyock, N.C., firm will lay off an unspecified number of employees of the vehicles division, Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrell said in a written statement.

“We built some great trucks that will be used to protect our own people abroad. But with no JLTV award, we couldn’t keep the entire operation going. The company will continue to develop and manufacture target systems, as we always have,” Tyrell said.

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Tuesday, November 4, 2008

News: Canadian Military Relying on Afghan Contractors for Security

Filed under: Afghanistan,Canada — Tags: , , — Matt @ 12:14 AM

   It’s interesting to hear what the salaries are for local nationals in Afghanistan.  The Iraq local national security companies pay almost the same amount to their guards.  –Head Jundi

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Military relying on Afghan contractors for security

JESSICA LEEDER

From Wednesday’s Globe and Mail

October 28, 2008 

ARGHANDAB DISTRICT, Afghanistan — To an untrained observer, it might seem odd that nearly 50 Afghans have been given free rein to gallivant around a foreign military outpost in their dusty Toyota 4Runners, armed with Kalashnikovs.

They shout at each other in Dari, a Persian dialect spoken in northern and western Afghanistan that is unintelligible to most Canadian soldiers and their hired Pashto interpreters here in the south.

Around the clock they churn up gravel as they dart between lookout towers along the base perimeter. As they blew by one of the senior officers on base the other day, leaving him shrouded in dust, Sergeant Major Shawn Mercer let a wide grin cross his face.

“They’re fast, like light,” he said.

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Monday, November 3, 2008

Training: Security Contractor Fitness-What is the Standard?

     So I wanted to do a little something about Physical Fitness Tests for security contracts.  It’s important stuff, because if you don’t pass these tests, you won’t get the job.  In the Smokejumpers, we called it “running for your job” every year.  And for those of you who were in organizations that required yearly or even quarterly PFT’s, you know how much of a pain in the ass they can be.  So it is important to keep up with your fitness.

   Now with security contracting, you have the same thing, but with a different twist.  You never know who you are going to get a job with, and the standards are always different from company to company. Or sometimes the company implements a PFT out of the blue, do to some new policy that came down the pipe.  So being ready for the various PFT’s out there can be kind of a challenge.

   The best thing to do, is to train to a level that would satisfy any PFT from any company.  And this is what I have attempted to do with the information below.  This is not a complete list of companies by any measure, nor is it particularly current.  But what this does, is give you an idea of what is expected out there over the last couple of years. And as a disclaimer, you need to develop your own plan based on your own research and talking with the companies.  I don’t want to give the impression that if you train to my standards below, that it applies to you.  There are too many factors(age, body weight, etc., location) and all I am attempting here is to show you my methodology.

   From the information below, we can start to see some patterns in what is expected.  What I will do is list those standards for each type of exercise, based on the most stringent requirements of the grouping below. Also, you should keep in mind the location of the PT test’s.  If you have to do a test up in the mountains, and your not ready for that elevation, then that can be a problem.  The SOC test is like that.  Or running body armor on can be a challenge, if you haven’t done that in awhile.

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Weapons Stuff: LaRue Tactical AK-IronDot

Filed under: Weapons Stuff — Tags: , , — Matt @ 10:55 AM

    This optic set up sounds like a pretty cool deal.  I like it because it is low profile and lightweight.  And it is a LaRue Tactical product, which everything they make is outstanding and built like a tank.  I own their Aimpoint mount they make, and the thing is solid.  

    I also like the cowitnessing of the sight’s Iron sights and the red dot.  That way, if the red dot becomes damaged or doesn’t light up, then you can just use the iron sights.  This would be a good set up to bring with you on contract, incase you get issued an AK-47.  –Head Jundi

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AK-IronDot

 

LaRue Tactical AK-IronDot

Simply remove your AK’s rear sight and drop this robust, yet lightweight, mini red-dot in its place. Built around the excellent Burris FastFire Mini Red Dot (included), the AK-IronDot has an integral rear-sight blade for cowitnessing irons. An armored shroud protects the optic, and has access cutouts for the power switch and windage control. The entire unit pivots up and out of the way for easy removal of the receiver cover when cleaning your weapon. Replaces the stock rear sight in seconds.

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