Finally, a discussion about contractor safety in Afghanistan. Although I have yet to hear any talk about it in the contracting community, as to these specific measures. A big hat tip to Nathan Hodge for writing this and getting it out there. –Matt
U.S. Boosts Security For Afghan Contractors
By Nathan Hodge
August 29th, 2012
The U.S. military has added previously undisclosed security measures for contractors in Afghanistan, amid a wave of insider attacks by Afghan soldiers and police and the continuing withdrawal of coalition troops.
Separately, the top U.S. general’s plane was hit by insurgent fire early Tuesday as it sat on a runway at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. Indirect rounds fired shortly after midnight damaged the C-17 transport plane of Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and another helicopter, according to the U.S.-led coalition.
The general and his entourage weren’t on the plane at the time and weren’t injured, the coalition said, adding the entourage took another military aircraft to leave Afghanistan. The attack came just months after an Afghan civilian tried to drive a stolen vehicle into the U.S. defense secretary’s plane during a similar visit.
In scheduled meetings with U.S. commanders in Afghanistan and Afghan military officials, Gen. Dempsey had focused on the rise in attacks on U.S. military forces by Afghan police and army personnel.
The U.S.-led coalition has also ordered tighter “force protection” measures for contract personnel who are involved in military training, according to Royal Canadian Air Force Maj. Steve Neta, a spokesman for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization training mission in Afghanistan.
A NATO document viewed by The Wall Street Journal outlines a number of extra precautions for contractors, including requiring personnel to travel in more heavily armored convoys with military-compatible communications, GPS trackers and specific weaponry.
Maj. Neta said the coalition, as a matter of policy, doesn’t discuss specific protection measures.
“We did make revisions to a policy relating to our contractors, although this wasn’t precipitated by any one event,” he said. “Force protection is a fundamental element to our operations here and we feel that our personnel understand that measures are implemented in the interest of providing as safe an environment as possible.”
The increased security for contractors was put in place in recent months alongside efforts to increase security for coalition troops. Contractors and coalition troops alike have been increasingly targeted recently by uniformed Afghan soldiers and policemen, in so called “green-on-blue” attacks. Over the past two weeks, at least 10 U.S. troops have been killed in attacks by Afghan troops on their international colleagues.
The coalition recently instituted a new policy requiring troops to carry loaded magazines on base. The military has also assigned “guardian angels” to watch Afghan forces during meetings and patrols, ready to shoot anyone who turns a weapon on U.S. and international personnel.
The sweeping changes for contractors would make it potentially more difficult to carry on some essential work, according to one person familiar with the matter.
“Our estimate for full compliance based on the cost of equipping all vehicles and other measures required for full compliance runs to tens of millions of dollars,” this person said. “We expect that implementing all aspects of the requirements would not be accomplished until after 2014.”
The new security measures for contractors haven’t had any “operational impact,” Maj. Neta said.
The bulk of U.S. and international forces are slated to withdraw by 2014. Contractors are worried that the cost of doing business—and the potential risk to employees—will rise as uniformed troops depart.
The military relies extensively on contractors in Afghanistan. At the height of the conflict, for instance, the military was spending around $150 million a month on a food-supply contract to support around 100,000 troops.
By the end of September, the U.S. military presence will be reduced to 68,000 troops. As the U.S. and its allies prepare to withdraw from Afghanistan, private contractors have taken on roles traditionally considered in the purview of the military, from flying spyplanes to operating drones and sifting intelligence.
The outsourcing has risks. The military doesn’t typically announce the deaths of private employees, but some contractors providing support have been killed. Last year, Pentagon contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. LMT -0.59% disclosed that two of the company’s employees were killed in a rocket attack on a forward base in Afghanistan.
The contractors had been helping operate the Persistent Threat Detection System, a tethered balloon that is outfitted with high-tech surveillance cameras and communications gear.
In a recent interview, Lockheed’s chief executive, Robert Stevens, said defense contractors were assessing the costs and the risks of keeping personnel in Afghanistan as the uniformed military presence shrinks.
“If there’s an expectation that says companies are going to be there, then we’re going to ask, are we going to get enough security?” he said. “Who’s going to support this, from where? What would the logistics footprint look like, what would the personnel requirement look like, what would the security environment look like? Those are all reasonable questions.”
—Maria Abi-Habib in Kabul contributed to this article.
Story here.