So as I write this, it is December 31, 2019, and I am trying to boil down the last decade of contracting and war into some kind of sense. I have been working as a contractor for over 15 years now, and the last decade has been a whirlwind. lol It is amazing that I am still alive, still doing doing this stuff, and still heavily blogging and writing about this industry. So I still have a passion for it all and it is fun and interesting to me to share what I know with the readership.
That conversation and sharing has transferred to other platforms these days, and specifically Facebook. It is the preferred platform for information sharing, from what I have experienced, and it is where I get the most interaction with the readership. It is also faster than using the blog, and fits in with my OODA when it comes to ground truth and feedback. Speed is everything when it comes to the information world, and social media platforms have amplified my ability to interact with the world of contracting and war. Of course being there in person, on the ground is the ultimate, but for one individual like myself, trying to get a feel for what is going on out there, then social media is where it is at.
The blog is where I put unique content that needs to be recorded. But then I get the most value out of time spent, being on social media. You also see other big players do the same. Eeben Barlow of EO and STTEP fame is very active on FB. Erik Prince is active on LinkedIn. Tim Lynch of Free Range International is active on FB and in the podcasting world. Frank Gallagher of WPS fame is very active on FB… Instagram, Youtube and Podcasts, WhatsApp, etc. are huge in the modern era. That interaction, and the thousands of pages and groups and ‘tribes’ are where today’s readership exists, and that is where I go to connect. I would much prefer human interaction, but with the scope of this industry, this is the best way I know of to interact with it.
Over the years, I have shared hundreds of open source ideas and news stories at FB, Twitter, the blog, LinkedIn, etc. and I am constantly trying to battle through the noise to get to the truth of the matter. So what have I learned and observed over the last ten years of contracting and war? What have I synthesized from this analysis? What are the lessons learned?
The best way I can organize this, and display my thoughts is to go through categories and describe the various phases of that category. That will give the reader, now and into the future, a good snapshot of where the industry was at, at this point, and where it came from. I might even do a little prediction.
The Contractor
This first category, I will focus on my experience over the last ten years. In 2010, I was still in Iraq on a contract and things were starting to wind down. The next year we would find the US exiting Iraq. Of course contractors did not leave, and they are still there to this day. But back then, I was forty years old, and still pretty healthy. I just survived the peak war years of Iraq, and I was in my groove. The word back then was that the industry was going away and the jobs would dry up. As a blogger and contractor, I paid attention to this and thought ‘we will see’. As it turned out, the industry is still humming along.
We have seen a lot of consolidation going on with the companies. Lots of mergers, and that can be stressful for contractors in these companies. Constantly going through name changes or policy changes or leadership. Companies cutting the fat as they say, and it was a time period of change and a seeking of efficiencies. As the wars wind down, we saw companies fighting over fewer contracts. But the contracts really did not go away.
Since the wars have drawn down, contractors were immensely important to that process. We have seen bases and embassies being staffed by contractors, and that has not gone away. Contractors are still protecting diplomats and this is not just the US. Contractors are still being used like this throughout the world.
Ten years ago, fitness and shooting was as important as it is today. Vetting and training programs have not changed much over the years. Companies only care about meeting the needs of the contract. I have not seen a change in that regard. Also, the requirements from companies have not really changed either. They are still looking for guys with combat arms backgrounds and deployments in wars–which in this world, there are still a lot of veterans seeking employment. The only factor here is desire. Deployments are still tough, still long, and it is a sacrifice. Especially for guys and gals with families.
Contract lengths seem to be at the 1 to 1 ratio of deployment time to home time. So it seems folks average half their year on contract and half the year at home. European companies tend to do it a little different, and fly folks back and forth for schedules. Some companies want to save time and money for transport by keeping folks in country longer. Companies and contractors also factor in taxes as a reason to keep folks overseas longer. But at the end of the day, there seems to be some equilibrium going on with what is important to the contractor and companies. If you work contractors too much, they will leave and companies will get a default on contract.
Clearances this last decade is a big one. It was the decade prior where clearances were starting to get emphasized more for contracts as a means of a background check. At one point, a CAC card was the most important qualification a contractor could have in the wars. It seems now that more and more contracts require higher clearances, to further insure they are getting quality people on contracts. Which is great, but it also costs a lot of money. From investigations to paper work, to processing… So the last decade, we saw the importance of getting a clearance, and maintaining that clearance for work in contracts–at least for US companies. For other companies throughout the world, background checks are equally important. There are just too many resources out there for companies to use, to not do a check on folks.
I mentioned social media earlier, and you bet companies canvass social media for information about their contractors or applicants. As a blogger, I have interacted with quite a few managers and CEO types over the years on social media, and believe me, they read everything out there. Back in 2010, social media was just coming into it’s own. Now, it is the life we are in.
Living at remote sites is interesting for contractors. Ten years ago, access to internet was important, but still kind of a here and there. Now, internet is like ammo and water at remote sites. Today’s contractors are going online and going to school, or communicating with their family via WhatsApp or Skype, or interacting with their tribe on Instagram or Facebook, and these connections are very much a part of their lives. Internet is more important than ever before and god forbid if you are the manager that takes that away from the guys on the ground. You will create a factory of sadness out there and your people will revolt. lol
Weight lifting, CrossFit, etc. have been huge in the contractor community. Personally, I still run and lift weights, just like I did ten years ago. It is the only way I can keep passing fitness tests. So fitness is pretty important to the contractor. My health is still good, but I wear readers now. My mental health is still good, but I also work on a good balance of work and home life. It is important to take enough breaks, if you can, to recharge your battery. Ten years ago, I just wanted to keep working and staying busy. Now, I am still the same mindset, but I am focused on the future.
Finances and taxes for contractors is a big one, but not much has changed over the last ten years. For example, I have gone through three CPA’s over the last decade, and my financial strategy has focused on putting a ton of money into retirement accounts. It is a fantastic way to save on taxes with deferment, and to save for the future. Ten years ago, I did a little bit with my retirement savings, but not much.
Contractors have a fatalist mindset sometimes. Like spend your money now, because you could die tomorrow, or something like that. As you get older in this industry, and realize ‘hey, I am still kicking’, you start to think maybe I should get more in tune with retirement planning. Or at least figure out how to spend less in taxes. So that is my transformation these last years, with a focus on retirement planning. I am still young and have a ways to go until retirement age, but it is something I consider, and constantly remind younger contractors about. Get your work/life balance in order, and get a good CPA and financial/tax strategy. And save your pennies! Thanks to social media, that kind of message can be shared and promoted pretty easily.
What has not changed though, and I still see this with younger contractors, is the idea of making more money and just going nuts. lol Although the contracts are not nearly as lucrative as they were ten years ago, there are still some gigs floating around where making six figures a year is not unheard of. When guys get out of the military, and get into contracting and start making the big bucks, they still go nuts when it comes to purchases. Call it youth, and I get it. But that has not changed over the years. What is cool now is that because folks are so networked, and there are so many resources out there for learning how to smartly use and spend your money, that contractors are benefiting. Of course with this industry, if you are dodging death every time you go out on a contract, guys tend to party when they get home to celebrate living. That has not changed in the history of warfare…
Women on contracts. I am starting to see a little bit more of that, but it is still kind of rare. Not a lot of women can qualify for the work, because women were not allowed in combat units when the wars were at their peak. But you do see some women who were MP’s or prior civilian police, get on some security contracts out there. Over the last ten years, I have not seen a big change in that area. They are out there, but it is few and far between. I will say that there seems to be a little more women getting into support contractor stuff, but still, that is here and there. It is mostly men out there, and I suspect it will be the same as we go forward into the next decade.
Equipment and weapons…. Back then, it was a joke for both. Now, it is a little bit better. Red dot sights are commonplace on issued weapons it seems. AK’s and AR style weapons are still the issued primary weapons. Glocks are still the top pistol that is issued, but with iron sights. I speculate that we will eventually see red dots on pistols, but I have yet to see it on contracts. For equipment, companies are still going cheap, and contractors are still taking their own kit out to contracts. That has not changed over the years, and I do not see that changing into the future here.
As a contractor, it is incredibly useful to have weapons knowledge. From pistols to heavy machine guns, having the knowledge to operate, maintain, and even fix those tools is pretty important. It was important back then, and still important to this day. Lasers and NVG’s are making their way out to contracts, but that is not universal. Running CCTV on gigs is still standard, and driving Hilux is pretty common. Other companies in other countries, still provide just the basics, and you would be lucky to have a working gun or kit on some gigs out there. I still hear about horror stories with how companies do business.
I will say that as your eyesight gets worse, it is important to figure out your weapons game as a contractor. Get laser surgery! In the early 2000’s before I was a contractor, I paid for eye surgery in Canada and it was the best investment ever. The last ten years, you see a lot of contractors that started out young, who are getting older and their vision starts to suck. Get the surgery, because the success and frequency of that surgery has only increased this last decade. It is truly miraculous, and essential to this work and OODA. You have to be able to see.
Deaths, mental health and suicides. Over the last ten years, I knew of one fellow contractor that killed himself. It is sad, and it is a reality of this industry. This last decade we saw an increase of attention towards veteran suicide. Of course this includes contractors, because they are prior service. What has not changed is the lack of services geared towards contractors. This community is still relying on the VA and their military service connected resources. Groups like TAPS are great, because they do focus on helping contractors–but there just is not a lot out there for folks.
It has also come out over the last decade that more contractors have been killed than military folks in these wars. The amount of contractors serving in Iraq and Afghanistan is pretty high as well. Still, there is no attention placed on that sacrifice and service, and I have not seen a change over the last decade when it comes to that stuff. I do not foresee it changing either. Believe me, I do my best to share casualty statistics and the contractor service in these wars, and most of America and the world could care less.
Injuries are still a thing, and what has changed over the years is the frequency of the use of DBA lawyers. When injuries are long term, insurance companies want out. They want to get away from giving you the care you need because it costs them money. So they make it difficult for contractors and hope they give up the fight. With DBA lawyers, you can fight back and get the care you need.
Culture changes. What the world does care about is movies and games. lol I continue to see contractors played as the bad guys in film, and especially international films like China’s Wolf Warrior. PMSC’s are still hugely represented in video games, and that has been pretty steady over the years. Air Soft communities are all about contractors, and even comic books. When you look for it, private military stuff is all over the place.
What has changed over the years is the amount of contractors that have gone on to become youtube stars or write books or become Instagram influencers. It seems the trend is guys want out of the business because it has taken it’s toll, and they get into businesses that relates to their military or contractor experience. Talking about or selling guns, coffee, t-shirts, equipment, making funny sketches, producing podcasts and youtube channels all seem to be popular these days. That is a change that I have noticed, and it will only increase I believe.
Politics. The political environment for contractors is interesting. I would say that most contractors are conservative or libertarian. I have worked with very few liberals or left leaning folks. And that matches up with the military. Lots of conservatives from conservative states, join the military, and then they go on to join a PMSC when they get out. That has not changed over the years, but what has changed is the ability of contractors to link up on social media with other like minded contractors. Guys and gals get their news, from their networks. There is little trust in the news groups out there these days, and everyone is in their own camp politically. Guys do talk politics on contracts, but folks have to be careful. You could be working for a client that is not in alignment with your politics. On contracts, folks try to find other folks that they can truly share their opinions with. But at the end of the day, people watch what they say politically or even about religion or other social issues, all because you never know how it is taken. But on social media guys share their opinions.
As for how contractors are perceived politically? Well, for me personally I am a conservative/libertarian leaning type of guy. Pretty standard contractor. My personal feelings on it is that I know what news groups and political parties hate me or love to bash contractors, and I know which ones support me. The political environment and access to information has only helped me to determine friend and foe when it comes to politics. The political environment is much more intense these days than it was ten years ago it seems. It could also be that as you get older, you give more of a crap about such things. Who knows?
One thing to watch out for though is fake information that is floating around, designed to enrage folks. Fake news articles are more common place now a days. Most guys are hip to it, but it can be frustrating if you want to get the real info about stuff. As a blogger, I am constantly trying to figure out if stuff is correct or not.
Memes should get a mention here. Ten years ago, I remember creating fun little posters and sharing them. That concept has only increased, and now memes are common out there. They are another means of communicating, and I see contractors use memes all the time. That has changed, and I do not see it going away. Some call it ‘meme warfare’, because guys are constantly trying to mock or make fun of something out there that is current or relevant. They are commentaries on politics, news or culture, designed to make people think and laugh.
For example, there was an active shooter that was quickly dispatched by an individual named Jack Wilson in a Texas Church. He shot the guy in the face, and on social media, people found Jack’s profile picture and made memes to celebrate what he did! No one told people to do this, and they just put it out there. That stuff is shared hundreds and thousands of times, spread throughout the internet and instantly. Memes are definitely an interesting phenomenon and contractors use that to communicate ideas and thoughts all over the internet, just like the other millions of internet users do out there. I still make a funny poster or meme from time to time, but nothing compares to what I am seeing now.
As far as notable figures in the contracting world over the last ten years, not much has changed. Eeben Barlow and Erik Prince are still the top contractors that garner attention these days. There are a few others out there, but over the last ten years I have found that these two guys have been the most interesting. I suspect that will not change and it is always interesting to hear what they are up to or what they think about what is going on out there.
Another factor in contracting is our global presence, and I am constantly reminded of this fact when I interact with the network out there. This is an international mix of contractors out there that I interact with. I have much respect for the contractor in other parts of the world. The list of dead contractors in this war is a mixture of folks from all over the world that have contributed in the effort and have sacrificed. The last ten years have been fantastic for making new friends from all over the world, and Feral Jundi is all about that process. We help one another and learn from one another, and we all stand together against evil. That is what unites us, and I see that in my networks.
Jihad
Man, the only thing I can say about this over the last ten years is that we may have killed folks like Osama Bin Laden or Baghdadi, but Al Qaeda, ISIS, Boko Haram and Al Shabab have not gone away. If anything, these organizations have only grown and evolved over the years. Jihadists on 9/11 are what kicked off this war, and subsequently this industry. It is why I am here writing this, and as a blogger, I track them. I track what they do, their methods, where they are at, etc. Know Your Enemy, as Sun Tzu would say. A lot of my blogging on FB focuses on what these folks are doing out there, because this has impact on my security work for whatever company I am working for. It is also important to others out there hence why I share what I find.
What has changed over the years is the ferocity and scope of these animals. In places like Syria and Iraq, we have seen jihadist groups operating captured tanks, APC’s and artillery! And using all of those weapons and tools to good effect. Jihadists have also taken the concept of Vehicle Born IED’s or VBIED’s to the next level…an industrial level. So I follow that stuff as well, because yet again, this is stuff I could see on contract, protecting a client at a remote site or for a convoy or PSD mission. The jihadists also make Armored Personnel Carriers into VBIED’s, and use those for coordinated attacks. As a contractor and blogger, I am constantly watching combat videos and canvassing twitter and Liveleaks etc. for information about what they are doing out there. IED’s and VBIED’s have not gone away, and armored vehicles, defensive obstacles and hardening facilities are very important to the contractor out there.
Tunnel bombs are something the jihadists are doing, and in Syria and Iraq, they put that stuff on full display in their videos. UAVs were also used by jihadists to gain ISR capability and drop bomblets. The use of UAV’s is definitely a change over the last ten years, and contractors need to be aware of that stuff. How to detect, how to counter, etc. These last couple of years, the events in Syria and Iraq have really put attention on this.
Tactically speaking, what I have observed as a change is the idea of applying strength to weakness. Meaning the jihadists are gathering larger attack formations, and targeting weaker positions to insure victory. Victories that can be filmed and shared, and displayed like a battle ribbon. These victories help in recruitment, because not only do the locals and military/police talk about it, but it is also talked about on the grand stage of social media. Applying strength to weakness is a Sun Tzu thing, and the jihadists are definitely catching on to this idea. I expect to see more attacks in the future, where large numbers of gathered forces, attack weak points. We see this in Africa, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, and everywhere in-between. As a contractor, you always have to think in terms of worst case scenarios, and complex attacks like this are not good. I always ask the question, can we defend against this?
Jihad and social media is interesting. We saw ISIS really leverage this stuff with snuff films. Horrible films came out from these guys–from chopping off heads to burning people alive. We saw that in the decade before, but ISIS definitely took it to the next level. It seems all the jihadists groups learn from each other and try to copy what works. The various free lancers and vanguards are out there, and helping to spread the word. From what communications to use, to how to use editing software, to using UAVs, etc. That has not changed, and it is only evolving over the years.
As for a strategy to defeat jihadists? Man, I have yet to see anything sound work. Perhaps within the next decade we will see the correct strategy. There does seem to be a focus in the current US government to get out of these wars, but there are too many forces pushing us along doing the same things. We will see.
I have seen more attention on counter arguments for how to do business in these wars. Erik Prince has been very vocal on different ways of doing business out there, and he has been very critical of today’s generals. Eeben Barlow has given outstanding input on how to fight jihadists in Africa. His company STTEP actually fought Boko Haram briefly in Nigeria, with great results. Too bad STTEP was not allowed to stick around.
Cartels
This another area that I have tracked over the years. Honestly I have not been involved with the fight against cartels in places like Mexico. In the military I was involved with some JTF 6 stuff, but that is about it. You mostly see Executive Protection guys or trainers working in Central and South America. PMSC activity is not that big in those areas, when it comes to countering the cartels. I thought I would see more activity there over the last ten years, but it just has not happened. Mexico and others, want to deal with it themselves.
Unfortunately though, Mexico and others are being controlled by the cartels. Calderon’s own security chief was arrested and extradited to the US, and they found out that the guy was working for the Sinaloa Cartel. When corruption and influence goes that far up the chain in a country like Mexico, how can they win? The cartels have used ‘plomo o plata’ as means of controlling politicians, police, and anyone else in their way. It is a cancer that has attached itself to all the vital organs of the country.
From a contracting point of view, I watch what they are doing down there and there are some similarities to what the jihadists do. The cartels are not using VBIED’s and IED’s to the same level as the jihadists, but they are doing the strength against weakness game. In Culiacan, the Sinaloa cartel was able to rescue Chapo’s own son from the grips of government forces, by force! The cartel did a blockade around the area to keep out government reinforcements, went to the housing area where government and police forces had families, and threatened to kill all of them by burning them down in their homes–unless the government released Chapo’s son. The government released the guy, and the cartel won that exchange. State lost to a non-state….To me, that is just startling, and William Lind had an excellent post about it that I recommend reading. He focuses on 4th Generation Warfare topics, and in his view, this is significant.
Another factor that has changed is the focus on the border and the arrest of Chapo Guzman, the head of the Sinaloa Cartel. The current US administration is focused on locking up the border, which is great, but it also has effects on the cartel stuff. The arrest of Chapo has caused some interesting side effects, and we are seeing the emergence of groups like CJNG. It is a constant battle for territory and dominance down there. The cartels are fighting over drug sales, human trafficking, oil, shipping, farm goods, etc. Anything that can make them money, they are fighting over. I continue to watch and see how that effects this industry. From border wall contracts, to maybe even a PMSC fighting cartels. But not much has happened over the last ten years in that department. What has happened is a flow of illegal immigrants heading north, trying to escape that insane world. It is a problem that will continue to plague the region for awhile and we will see how it develops into the next decade.
For voices to follow on this subject, I listen to guys like Ed Calderon of Ed’s Manifesto. Breitbart covers cartel violence, as does Borderland Beat. John Sullivan and Robert Bunker is another good source over at Small Wars Journal with their Mexican Cartel Strategic Notes series.
Piracy
The last decade was a good one for contractors when it came to battling piracy. Putting armed guards on boats along with attacking pirate villages on land in Somalia worked. The prior decade was bad, and things started turning when private industry got more involved. Piracy has not gone away, but there were some definite lessons learned on this when it comes to dealing with this.
As for changes, Somali piracy did go down, but we are seeing the Gulf of Guinea becoming a bad place. GoG has always had piracy, and you see Nigeria and others continue to stumble when it comes to dealing with it.
MARSEC is one of those industries that has hummed along over the years, and the big change there was the focus on getting cheaper guards on boats–which kind of killed the industry for some folks. Shipping companies are putting some scary folks on these boats, and they keep pushing the limits as to what they can get away with. It is all about profit with them, and the margins are already tight for shipping.
Another victory that happened last decade was getting folks that were imprisoned wrongly, freed. The men of the MV Seaman Guard Ohio that worked for AdvanFort were stuck in an Indian prison because of a mix up on the high seas for years. It took a lot of diplomacy by their home country, and they were finally freed. It is another example of the dangers of this business when working internationally.
We also saw the rescue of hostages by a private company and local police. Roelf Van Heerden of Executive Outcomes fame was the leader of the force that rescued the Iceberg 1 crew. Incredible job and an example of the kind of good PMSC’s can do.
The future of MARSEC is that armed guards on boats will continue to be a mainstay where they are allowed. We might see an uptick in guard use in places like GoG or even in the Gulf of Mexico. I will watch for it, and see where it goes. MARSEC will also be interesting to watch when it comes to the big stage, like conflicts with Iran.
Natural Disasters
This is an area close to my heart. I was a forest fire fighter and smokejumper before I was a contractor. I was also injured doing that stuff.
As a contractor, I have worked natural disasters as a security guy, but none in the last decade. I know folks have been involved with security work in various hurricanes over the years, but we have not seen the scope of security work like what happened for Hurricane Katrina. I suspect contractor work will be spotty in that world if you want to do security on these deals. What made Katrina unique, was Iraq and Afghanistan were raging at the time, and manpower for security was a premium. Now that the wars have drawn down, National Guard and local resources are more readily available for security work on natural disasters.
With that said, I do not discount that kind of work, and all it takes is a really bad disaster that requires a lot of security and resources, to fire up that industry up again.
Afghanistan
What has changed over the last decade is the amount of troops there. I worked in Afghanistan for a couple of years as a contractor, and it is America’s longest war. Currently we have less troops and contractors there than the hey day of that war. We also have more contractors there than troops, with more contractor deaths there as well… Contractors are used to protect the bases, and they have been called upon in greater numbers as we pull more troops out. I constantly see ads for contracts in Afghanistan, doing static security on the bases.
Erik Prince was making the rounds on various channels, offering a solution on how to approach Afghanistan. Basically he wanted to use contractors instead of troops to stand up the Afghan military. That is still an ongoing process, and he might get his wish in the next decade. We are still in Afghanistan, still trying to negotiate some peace agreement with the Taliban, and it still gets jacked up.
Of interest, the Afghanistan Papers came out this last year and basically sent a shockwave through the military leadership establishment when it comes to the handling of the war. Basically the papers showed how bad of a strategy we had and what was really happening there. Most contractors and military knew what the real deal was, but the higher ups in the Pentagon or folks managing the war, have continued to push narratives that we were winning or we are about to turn the thing around or whatever. The papers say otherwise and it is this generation’s Pentagon Papers.
This last decade in Afghanistan, the biggest news was when Osama Bin Laden was killed. Also, a few contractors were finally released from prisons. Guys like Robert Langdon or Phillip Young. I give folks like lawyer Kimberly Motley a lot of respect and credit for fighting hard to get them out of those hell holes.
As for voices in Afghanistan that I have listened to over the years? Guys like Tim Lynch of Free Range International were awesome sources, and he is still actively doing the deed to this day. Michael Yon is another guy that worked to get some ground truth over there. The Long War Journal is another required reading source for contractors, and they have been documenting Afghanistan for a long time. Contractors are always referencing the latest news on LWJ, and their maps on territory lost to the Taliban are good.
I imagine in the next decade, we will finally leave that place. Until we get to that point, contractors will be vital all the way to the end. I could be wrong though, and we could be there for another ten years or twenty years….
Strategy/Books/Leadership
For this category, my mindset over the last decade is still Boydian. Or I am a student of all things Col John Boyd. It has been a passion over the years, and all of my ideas about leadership and strategy have evolved from my study of what he worked on. From maneuver warfare, to mission command to EBFAS, etc. I can find the roots of all of these highly important concepts of war fighting from my studies of John Boyd and his friends. Guys like William Lind or Chet Richards are folks that I all follow and read, and my book selections have been focused mostly on this area.
For Mission Command, I recommend reading anything Donald Vandergriff has put together. The last decade I have been really focused on studying MC and Boyd’s secret sauce for the optimum company culture called EBFAS (please read Chet’s treatment of the subject). Once I went down the MC path, I started reading works from all sorts of German military authors. Guys like General Balck, etc. were very influential.
On the blog and Facebook, I still focus on the history of contracting and continue to find interesting stuff. I have read books about the Flying Tigers, or about Frederick Townsend Ward, or Frederick Russell Burnham, or even recent history like Erik Prince’s book or Eeben Barlow’s various books. Eeben’s book called Composite Warfare should be required reading for contractors.
Strategy-wise, I lean towards Sun Tzu, but like a true Boydian, you take a little bit from everywhere. So Clausewitz and Sun Tzu get a good showing when it comes to my readings.
For business, I still like reading what the big companies and big players have done to gain success. Guys like Steve Jobs or Elon Musk are fascinating characters, as is the work of Toyota. I follow all the top business journals online, and if you are not reading up on business stuff as a contractor, you are doing it wrong.
With that said, I use a RSS reader called Feedly to read hundreds of posts and articles every week. I do this on contract if I have access to the internet, and I do this at home. It is a regular thing, and reading is very important to me. I also listen to podcasts, watch youtube videos, and any other sources of info that relates to this industry. What has changed over the last ten years is how many resources have popped up that focus on jobs, or just the day to day life of a contractor. I am not running out of material to read or check out, and that is good. lol
I should make mention of David Isenberg, whom has been vigorously writing and commenting about this industry well before I came onto the scene. I read his stuff, and anything else of interest out there. Google Alerts is key to picking up on any contractor related news, and I work the search tab like no other.
I even delve into translating articles in other languages. I am constantly using Google Translate to get anything new about subjects of interest. There are a lot of other sources of knowledge about military, strategy and leadership other than english based western sources. I suspect I will be doing more of the same into the next decade.
Iraq and Syria
Man, as I write this, the US Embassy in Iraq was being swarmed by Hezbollah/protesters. We still have contractors there protecting the embassy, and there are guys still protecting oil and gas interests there. How long will we stay there is anyone’s guess. All I know is that we spent a lot of money on that embassy and it is the last remnants of the coalition presence. There are contractors elsewhere in Iraq, like in Balad and Kurdistan, and all eyes are on them whenever there is discontent locally.
When ISIS blew up on the scene in places like Mosul or when they advanced south, that was a big one in the contracting world. Now, it is protests and the PMU’s or Iraqi militias that are controlled by Iran, returning from Syria. Who knows how that will go, but relations with Iran is sketchy at best and that trickles down to actions against the guys and gals on the ground. Rockets and mortars are still be launched at remote sites and there was a contractor killed recently in Iraq.
I was in Iraq when the military left in 2011, and it seems like we keep going in and out of that country over the years based on whatever threat. It is a mess. Iran seems to be the folks controlling the Iraq government, and into the new year and next decade, we will probably continue to see Iraq be a mess because of this. Too many Sunnis there dealing with a Shia controlled government.
With Syria, there has been an effort to get us out of there, but we will see. There are just too many players there, and that place is a mess. It does seem to be winding down though, and Russia helped out big time with support for Assad. PMC Wagner, a Russian pseudo-PMSC played a roll as well. The coalition did a lot of work in destroying ISIS there, working with the Kurds.
Of note this last decade–we did see the coalition get into a fight with PMC Wagner, with deadly results for the company. As long as proxies like the Wagner Group continue to share the same space in conflict zones as states, we will probably see more of this type of thing.
Another thing to mention with Iraq is Raven 23. These men are still in prison, and I am hoping and praying that they will be pardoned by the president. President Trump has already pardoned several soldiers the last couple of years, and I sincerely hope he does the same with these men. I think they got a raw deal, and folks in this industry are angry that those men have been treated like that.
Africa
This is the new focus it seems. The last decade, more and more contractors have gone to Africa to assist in supporting governments fighting jihadists. The fear is that Africa has all the elements jihadists need to really do well. Poor people, oppressive governments, weapons availability, etc. The next decade we will continue to see a focus on the continent and wherever Jihadists pop up.
One thing of note is China and Russia’s focus on Africa. Resources there are a huge interest to these countries, and we are seeing more and more presence of these country’s proxy forces on the continent. I mentioned Russia’s PMSC in a prior post, and it is fascinating to watch unfold. These companies are not really private, and are totally controlled by their home country. If they were private, we would see more of their companies interacting in the business world to be competitive. As it stands now, they act more like proxy forces. Kind of like Iran’s Hezbollah is a proxy force, and now Russia has a group like PMC Wagner to deploy as they see fit.
Yet again, for Africa I pay attention to guys like Eeben Barlow. His blog and Facebook postings are fascinating and I highly recommend reading them. My predictions for Africa is that jihadists will continue to raise hell there, and continue to ravage the UN and weakened governments and their poor militaries. The rule of thumb for contracting is that wherever the jihad goes, the contractors go. There might be military that is dispatched, but private industry, investors and everyone else that has interest in an area that is threatened by jihadists or criminals, are gonna require the services of security contractors to protect that in which they cherish.
In Africa, we are also seeing PMSC’s involved in both Defense Industry and Offense Industry. I pay particular attention to what companies like STTEP have done, and pay keen attention to what PMC Wagner is doing on the continent or what Chinese companies are doing there. Libya is of interest recently, and because manpower is a premium, that place has turned into a mercenary war of sorts. There are so many countries that have interest there, and they are all sending private forces, or proxy forces to fight there or assist. The stakes are high, and they want a place at the oil and gas revenue table when the smoke clears and a leader reigns supreme. The question here is will we see PMSC’s fighting PMSC’s? Much like during the early history of mercenary warfare? I continue to watch that space to see where it goes.
Companies
I have to give mention to the companies, because it seems like they are getting better when it comes to keeping things in check. Or there are just less companies and contracts, and so incidents have been fewer. But it seems to me that things have gotten better, and bravo to all the support staff and management for working hard on keeping contract compliant.
With that said, leadership is still a focus that companies have missed out on. I have not seen any ‘Hamburger Universities’ like what McDonalds came up with, to train leadership and personnel within the PMSC companies. It is why I continue to comment on leadership on the blog and Facebook and unfortunately I keep hearing about horror stories of bad bosses. I have experienced a few over the years and it is still a focus of mine with the blog.
Look, if companies cared about increasing value and lowering attrition, then focus on leadership. Focus on the culture of the company as well to keep folks engaged and content. As it stands, I have yet to to see any companies in this industry put the necessary work into developing leadership and culture. If they had, I would have found out about it by now. I would have pointed at it and said this is the model!
I was hoping that this would have been a focus last decade, but it wasn’t. I tried to promote it, and I put the ideas out there, but nothing ever materialized. I will continue to talk about it well into the next decade.
What I have been able to do is leverage my networks and promote good leadership and culture ideas that way. I might have inspired the next star CEO, that is currently working in the trenches… One day, that guy will come up and show everyone how it is done. I want to see a PMSC make the cover of Harvard Business Review one day, promoted as the model company! Or how about PMSC CEO equal to a Musk or Jobs? I can only hope.
Another reason to focus on leadership and culture, is that if companies transition into Offense Industry, then all of these factors will really become obvious issues. When people die in combat because of poor company policies and/or leaders, then that is when this stuff gets real.
I mentioned pay briefly up top, but it is worth mentioning again. Salaries and daily rates have decreased the last decade. But there are some nice contracts out there if you qualify, and put the work into getting one of those gigs. On the low end, expect around $40,000 to $60,000 a year, and on the high end, a little over six figures. For management or specialized gigs, expect to make a lot more. I always say though, this industry favors those that are persistent in their pursuit of a good gig. You have to do a couple of crappy gigs before you actually get a good one it seems. Don’t give up and be relentless in your pursuit….
The companies have also had to adapt to the wars drawing down, and the consolidation that comes with it. If the wars end, and all the troops are pulled back from these places, then expect a shock within the companies. Always have a back up plan if you lose your contract, because you just never know when it could end….. I have personally worked for 6 companies over the last 15 years, and I expect to work for a few more into the future. Save your pennies, so you can survive between contracts.
Space
This is another area I watch. With the creation of the Space Force, a new branch of the US military, I think the contracting element of this deserves focus. After all, it is private companies along with NASA that are making rockets. SpaceX is a big one to watch, as is Blue Origin and ULA. There are others, but as these companies get more involved in launching people and goods into space, private contractors and this industry will be important to securing it.
Will we see space contractors or SPASEC becoming a thing in the next decade? Who knows, but I am definitely watching that industry as it evolves. The last decade we saw a focus and expansion of private space flight and military related space stuff, and that will only increase as we set up shop on the Moon and Mars and beyond.
Active Shooters
This gets a mention, because during the last decade we saw a lot of active shooter incidents overseas and at home. Private industry is very much involved with trying to counter active shooters. To me, it is an OODA problem, where the active shooter can act faster than most of what is out there to counter it. So there will be a focus to get private security and law enforcement and even military, closer to the soft targets out there to protect them. We will see more laws allowing armed citizens to be in churches and schools, and there will continue to be raging debates about gun control and whatnot.
My thoughts are that it is just like Somali Piracy. You need folks with guns, ready to go, that are actively looking for threats at places that we want to protect. The last decade showed multiple incidents where if there was a good guy with a gun, that the incident could have been stopped. But we also saw some incidents that really emphasized the advantage of an active shooter that has a good strategy. The Vegas shooter comes to mind as one of the more startling incidents of the last decade.
Law enforcement and security elements are all working hard to figure out ways of preventing such incidents. But like with the example of Jack Wilson, or like the example of Rick Rescorla who saved thousands of people’s lives on 9/11, we will continue to see a demand and need for competent security folks willing to risk their lives to save others. Folks that are armed with knowledge, training, and a gun that will enter the arena and fight evil.
After each incident, and each counter to such an incident, there will continue to be learning and reflection. This industry will be there to answer the call, just like it does elsewhere in the world. That is what it did last decade, and that is what it will do into the next decade and beyond. It is an honor and privilege to be able to share what I know with the readership and industry, and continue to press the fight against evil and come to the aid of the innocent. –Matt
*For a break down on every year I have blogged about this industry, feel free to check out my ‘Year In Review‘ posts.
