Feral Jundi

Friday, December 16, 2011

Industry Talk: US Military Steps In To Man Gates In South Korea As G4S Struggles To Fill Slots

Filed under: Industry Talk,South Korea — Tags: , , , , — Matt @ 10:22 PM

U.S. officials said Joeun Systems was paid a total of about $118 million over the past five years for its services, but G4S was the lowest acceptable bidder for the next five-year contract at a price of about $109 million.
As G4S took over gate security at most U.S. military bases in South Korea at the beginning of this month, only 60 of the 850 guards who worked for Joeun Systems had agreed to sign on with the new contractor, according to officials with the guards’ union.
On Thursday, G4S said it has hired about one-third of the 600-plus guards it will need to secure all the posts. Many of those hired are former Joeun Systems employees, G4S officials say.

Here is an interesting little story from South Korea. We have a case here where the US military rebid the contract for base security, and G4S beat out the incumbent firm named Joeun Systems Corp. From the sounds of it, it looks like this contract was another Lowest Priced, Technically Acceptable contract mechanism victim. Meaning G4S was the lowest bidder, and paying the price for being the lowest bidder. The US military is also paying the price now for going cheap.

Joen Systems Corp. of course is protesting, and all of the guards that worked for them are union and are not willing to move over to G4S to take a lower salary. Which is totally understandable.

The interesting thing here is that our military bases there are using local security folks. Which is fine, but if the US military cares to have quality folks protecting these camps, then pay the extra amount and contract with American companies to do this work. Or use the Best Value mechanism of contracting, and not necessarily go with the lowest bidder for these things. Because if you are going to use local companies or local workers, then you will more than likely be dealing with that host nation’s unions. Or folks will organize naturally to protect their salaries if they do not have a union.  We saw the same thing happen in Iraq with the TWISS contracts. LPTA is a crappy way to go, and has all sorts of problems associated with it.

Also, because they are local, they will also have more impact in the local media stations and get more sympathy from their fellow citizens.  Either way, dealing with unions and contract disputes will always be an issue when trying to modify contracts and pay less for the same services. All I have to say is that paying the industry standard is the safe way to go, because you definitely do not want disgruntled guards tasked with force protection. Especially with the threat of North Korea, or any number of other threats that are unique to overseas posts. –Matt

 

GIs still manning gates in S. Korea as contractor struggles to fill slots
By JON RABIROFF AND ASHLEY ROWLAND
December 15, 2011
U.S. soldiers continue to man the gates at U.S. military bases in South Korea more than two weeks after a new security firm failed to hire enough employees to get the job done.
Despite the fact that the firm, G4S, continues to be short-staffed and in violation of its contract, U.S. military officials say they are willing to give the company more time to get up to speed.
Both sides insist the situation will soon be resolved, that security at the bases has not been compromised and disruptions have been kept to a minimum.

(more…)

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Iraq: After More Than 8 1/2 Years, The Iraq War Ends

Filed under: Iraq — Tags: , , , — Matt @ 4:23 AM

A close to a costly and deadly war, both for the military and contractors. For those of us that have done time in that war, there is a little piece of all of us over there. It is quiet the thing, and I know many of us will be reflecting upon our time there for the rest of our lives. Especially remembering those who were killed there.

But now that the military mission is officially over, and we have had the ceremony, that doesn’t mean the insurgency is done. So for many contractors, the war will not have ended really. We will see how it goes during this post war phase…. –Matt

 

After more than 8 1/2 years, Iraq war draws to a quiet close
By Liz Sly and Craig Whitlock,
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta paid solemn tribute on Thursday to an “independent, free and sovereign Iraq” and declared the official end to the Iraq war, formally wrapping up the U.S. military’s 81 / 2-year mission in the country.
“After a lot of blood spilled by Iraqis and Americans, the mission of an Iraq that could govern and secure itself has become real,” Panetta said at a ceremony at Baghdad ‘s international airport. “To be sure, the cost was high – in blood and treasure for the United States, and for the Iraqi people. Those lives were not lost in vain. ”
The 1:15 p.m. ceremony (5:15 a.m. in Washington) effectively ended the war two weeks earlier than was necessary under the terms of the security agreement signed by the U.S. and Iraqi governments in 2008, which stipulated that the troops must be gone by Dec. 31.
But commanders decided there was no need to keep troops in Iraq through the Christmas holidays given that talks on maintaining a U.S. presence beyond the deadline had failed. The date of the final ceremony had been kept secret for weeks, so as not to give insurgents or militias an opportunity to stage attacks.
Dignitaries and a small crowd of military personnel in fatigues gathered at a terminal in the Baghdad airport, which until now had been operated by the U.S. military. In the future, it will be overseen by the State Department, which is assuming responsibility for a massive, $6 billion civilian effort to sustain American influence in Iraq beyond the troops’ departure.

(more…)

Legal News: US Pursuing Legal Protections For Contractors Still In Iraq

Filed under: Iraq,Legal News — Tags: , , , — Matt @ 2:16 AM

You know, this would have been cool if they would have figured this out before this transition. To not have some kind of protections in place will really suck for the contractors that are operating in Iraq still. Hopefully something is put together in a reasonable time. –Matt

 

U.S. pursuing legal protections for contractors still in Iraq
By ERIK SLAVIN
December 14, 2011
The United States is still pursuing an agreement with the government of Iraq that could provide defense contractors working for the U.S. State Department with some legal protections in 2012, U.S. embassy and military officials said last week.
While diplomats and service members working for the State Department are shielded by diplomatic immunity from prosecution under Iraqi law, the thousands of private contractors who will be working for the agency have no such protections.
Contractors have lacked immunity from Iraqi law since 2009, when a new status of forces agreement excluded them.
However, with the pullout of the remaining 50,000 troops from Iraq this year, contractors say they now feel more vulnerable to danger, both from potentially corrupt Iraqi police and from anti-American groups.
“You have to cross a major Iraqi road and, should the [Iraqi police or Iraqi army] decide, they might begin detaining American personnel,” said one contractor, who asked for anonymity because his company has not authorized him to speak publicly.

(more…)

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Strategy: Mexico Implements Fortified Town Or ‘Burgward’ Strategy In Tamaulipas

Filed under: Mexico,Strategy — Tags: , , , , — Matt @ 11:00 PM

Grand Strategic Analysis: In essence, fortified towns (garrison towns) are being established by means of recolonizing (and stabilizing existing populations) in a region of Mexico lost to the de facto rule of the criminal insurgents. This is pretty much an unheard of development with regard to mature, stable, and modern states. Rather, it is characteristic of centralized states expanding into frontier areas (those expanding territorially) and such states losing control over expanses of their lands (those being overrun by raiders and barbarians). This is very much reminiscent of Roman, and later Holy Roman, Empire frontier towns (burgwards et.al.) in Europe during the late imperial and post-Western empire eras. The raiders of those eras, however, were early on based on the Germanic tribes and Huns (Magyars) as opposed to today’s cartel (2nd/3rd phase) and gang (3GEN) groupings [6]. Modern parallels to US firebases in Vietnam may be made but the context and type of insurgency (criminal vs Maoist-inspired) make such contentions highly problematic. The historical parallels to the criminal-soldier threats of the late Roman Empire and Dark Ages appear even more viable in light of the multitude of atrocities committed (torture, mutilations, and beheadings), although in this instance with a post-modern contextual overlay.

Thanks to Dr. Bunker for pointing this one out in his Strategic Note #10. This is very cool stuff and reminiscent of a sort of ink blot counter-insurgency strategy. But Dr. Bunker classified it as Burgward Strategy based off of the Roman method of setting up frontier posts to deal with raiders and barbarians. To basically take back and bring under control the land within the empire.

It is also shocking to know that towns like the one described exist. Here is the quote that perked me up:

In late 2010, nearly all of the town’s 6,300 inhabitants fled to neighboring municipalities and across the border into the United States due to fear of drug-related violence.
Many of them had relocated to a shelter in the nearby city of Ciudad Miguel Aleman.

This is crazy. That would make the illegal immigrants that cross into the US into more of a class of war refugee. So yes, any strategy that includes taking back these towns is mutually beneficial to Mexico and the US.

The other thing I was wondering is how many other towns are like this one? And, for setting up these mobile military bases, I wonder who they are contracting with if any, to help support these operations?  I imagine if there are quite a few of these towns that need to be taken back, then I could see the potential for a Mexican type LOGCAP program emerging to support those operations. Although I have not heard of anything like that yet, and I will keep an eye out as Mexico continues to implement this strategy. (I do not know if the Merida Initiative is helping to support this or not?). Interesting stuff. –Matt

 

Mexico Inaugurates Military Barracks in Violence-Plagued Town
December 10, 2011
Mexican President Felipe Calderon formally inaugurated a military barracks in the violence-racked northeastern town of Ciudad Mier, where he reiterated that the deployment of army soldiers to battle drug-trafficking gangs is a necessary but temporary measure.
He said the new army base will allow time for authorities to recruit and form their own police forces in that town and other areas of Tamaulipas state, saying that the weakness, vulnerability and, in some cases, complicity, of law enforcement had put people “at the mercy of criminals.”
Calderon said Ciudad Mier, a colonial community in Tamaulipas state near the U.S.-Mexico border that was once known as the “Magic Town,” should be a tourist destination but instead was abandoned by its citizens last year because of the presence of criminal gangs.
In late 2010, nearly all of the town’s 6,300 inhabitants fled to neighboring municipalities and across the border into the United States due to fear of drug-related violence.
Many of them had relocated to a shelter in the nearby city of Ciudad Miguel Aleman.
Ciudad Mier, which is located in the “Frontera Chica” region of Tamaulipas, and many other towns in northeastern Mexico found themselves caught up in the war sparked by the March 2010 rupture of the alliance between the Gulf drug cartel and Los Zetas, the cartel’s former armed wing.

(more…)

Monday, December 12, 2011

Industry Talk: Xe Services Announces Name Change To ACADEMI

Filed under: Industry Talk,Iraq — Tags: , , , , — Matt @ 10:06 PM

Plato’s Akademia, established in the third century B.C., was an institution that produced the best thinkers and warriors alike. These were elite individuals capable of facing the challenges of the time thanks to a strong foundation in training, strategy and strength, both mental and physical.

Interesting news. I am wondering if this will help things at all for future contracts?  In interviews, CEO Ted Wright said they plan on pursuing contracts in Iraq again, and that would be quite the thing.  Here is a quote from CNN’s interview with him:

“The day I’m allowed to do business in Iraq will be success,” said Wright. “If the government of Iraq let’s us do business there again, you know we’ve been successful.”

As to the new business focus of ACADEMI, here was a little hint as to what they are thinking:

Wright would like to double the training side of the business. His company boasts one of the country’s largest, most well-equipped training facilities, located in Moyock, in sparsely populated northeastern North Carolina. He’s also exploring new business opportunities when it comes to certifying bodyguards for high net-worth individuals, such as celebrities or executives. He’d also like to expand the company’s number of commercial clients such as oil and gas companies, and insurers who do business in dangerous parts of the world.

“Hopefully we can reduce insurance rates for their clients so that they can bring us on as an offering to say, ‘Hey listen, go use these people, they’re gonna come and do an assessment for you and they’re gonna improve your security environment and your insurance rates will go down,” said Wright.

Now that is cool. Maybe they might get into the maritime security game again?  That industry needs quality folks and those shipping companies would benefit greatly from reduced insurance rates based on using the services of a company like ACADEMI. Even if they do not get into that game, the energy sector is still a massive market. Things are also getting more dangerous and unstable, and the world is highly dependent on the free flow of oil. Security is a crucial element of the free flow. –Matt

 

 

Leading Training and Security Services Provider Xe Services Announces Name Change to ACADEMI
New name draws on company legacy while building on new leadership, governance and strategy.
Dec 12, 2011
USTC Holdings, LLC, the investor consortium that acquired Xe Services, LLC, including its main holding U.S. Training Center, Inc. in December 2010, today announced ACADEMI as the new name and brand for Xe Services. The name ACADEMI (pronounced “academy”) was selected to better communicate the new company’s focus on future growth.
“We have had a year of extraordinary changes that have resulted in a new, better company,” President and CEO Ted Wright said in a statement. The ACADEMI name communicates both our legacy and where we are going as a company in the future. This is more than a simple name change,” Wright continued. “Rather it is a reflection of the changes we have made while retaining those elements that made us who we are today — the best in our industry.”
The announcement of ACADEMI is the culmination of a year of change as part of the company’s new chapter of growth. Upon acquiring Xe Services and its core operating subsidiaries in December 2010, USTC Holdings, LLC indicated that it would form a new Board of Directors, including independent unaffiliated directors, to manage the company and enhance its governance and oversight capabilities.

(more…)

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