Feral Jundi

     Hey folks, get the word out on this.  If you are having problems getting your vehicles credentialed for work in Iraq, then tell your company that traveling outside the wire is a no go.  The reason for that is if you are pulled over by the Iraqis and you do not have that stuff, you could get in some trouble.  The kind of trouble that could get you arrested or heavily fined by the Iraqis.  This is especially important now that Iraq is kind of in limbo with the government crap right now, and the police and military might not feel like playing nice with contractors.

     Hopefully in the case of DynCorp, they will get this squared away before they force their teams to travel without those credentials.  If any other contractors are running into the same issues with their company, or have any input, I am all ears. Bravo to this contractor who contacted Marc Ambinder and got the word out about this.  As the war winds down, and the military pulls out, these types of things will be more common and very important to hash out.  Definitely demand that your company does the right thing out there.

     This also goes to the US government and their relationship with Iraq.  This is some basic diplomatic stuff here.  I realize that we are trying to get the Iraqis to take charge of their country and get responsible, but we also have a responsibility to our contractor force. To do all we can to protect them from these Iraqi growing pains is in our best interest.  After all, contractors are putting their lives on the line in defense of government property and personnel–I would think that would count for something?-Matt

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Contractors Pressured to Perform in Iraq Without Valid Credentials

August 4, 2010

By Marc Ambinder

The United States is rapidly drawing down troops in Iraq, and contractors are picking up the slack. DynCorp International, in particular, employs hundreds of ex-soldiers and cops to act as bodyguards and shepherds for State Department personnel across the country. The company also trains Iraqi police forces.

DynCorp is under intense pressure to perform without blemish. Private security companies and their employees are under scrutiny from both the U.S. and Iraqi governments more than ever before because of a string of incidents. Within the military, soldiers who quit to join these companies are derided as “mercs.” The culture among DynCorp’s ranks is similar to that of elite military units — what happens out there stays out there. It’s dangerous. Contractors get killed and injured with regularity. The pay is OK — it starts at $90,000 a year — and the working conditions — living in tents, eating MREs — are harsh. State Department officials have told me that the U.S. is generally pleased with DynCorp’s performance so far … but DynCorp is pretty much the only company that can do what State needs it to do.

But one member of an elite unit, a former Army Ranger who asked not to be identified, is concerned that DynCorp and the U.S. government are cutting corners unnecessarily.

The U.S. government is responsible for coordinating the vehicle credentialing and registration process with the Iraqis. Iraq’s new bureaucracy changed its rules, delaying the renewal efforts. DynCorp International’s team leaders are not supposed to leave their bases without valid credentials, period — no matter the reason.

The decals are important — they allow U.S. and Iraqi troops to see their vehicles as belonging to friendlies.

If the decals are out of date and the licenses are expired, DynCorp’s folks can find themselves arrested, or worse. In December, when decals expired, the company continued to operate until a DynCorp team member was arrested, according to this employee.

Vehicle decals and licenses issued by the Iraqi government again expired on August 1.

And yet, according to the ex-Ranger, team leaders on Monday were instructed by the State Department to continue sending out teams. “Hopefully, no one gets hurt due to this,” the DynCorp employee said. The implicit message, according to the ex-Ranger, was that either the teams go out or they go home — fired, back to the United States.

I was not able to reach State Department officials in Iraq, and e-mails sent to the Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq were not returned. DynCorp, however, responded fairly quickly to my inquiry.

“At the direction of our customer, the U.S. Department of State, as of August 3, 2010, [Dyncorp] has suspended operations with vehicles that have expired stickers,” a company spokesperson said in a statement:

The safety and security of all DynCorp International (DI) personnel who have bravely chosen to work in remote and often hostile environments is a top priority for the Company. In Iraq, our teams have volunteered to operate in a warzone performing dangerous but vital tasks in support of a number of U.S. government programs. We provide the safest possible environment for our personnel by working closely with the Iraqi government to obtain all licensing and certifications that are required to operate in Iraq.

DynCorp says that its licenses with the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior, the Kurdish ministry of the interior, and various other organizations are “all in good standing”:

“Both the U.S. government and the Iraqi [government] have assured us that the administrative process to receive an additional written extension is underway.”

Story here.