Boy, 2011 was quite the year. This was the year that Bin Laden was killed and we pulled all troops out of Iraq. So from a war time perspective, there was a lot of movement.
But from a contractor point of view, we had some very interesting developments. The things that stood out for me this year were the formation of Reflex Responses, the outstanding success and massive surge of maritime security contractors to combat piracy, and of course this whole deal with an entire country (Australia) recruiting and going after US and other veterans.
The other big story for security contractors is Iraq. The mission in Iraq for the State Department is highly dependent now on a large armed security contractor force. This is new ground and certainly historical. For 2012, all eyes will be on this mission and we wish everyone involved with that the very best.
Contractors will also play a big part in securing energy. Libya’s Qaddafi fell to this Arab Spring revolt, and security contractors will be a major part of that effort to help secure their oil. The South Sudan is a new country and they will be requiring all sorts of services to help stand up their military and secure energy. Iraq will also be a focus for energy security, and security companies will play a vital role there in protecting those projects.
For Building Snowmobiles, my favorite was the Offense Industry one. I also did a post on the Cyber Lance, and both of those concepts are areas that I will continue to research and draw upon for future posts. Especially Offense Industry, just because there is no one out there delving into this stuff and it is purely a Feral Jundi concept.
The other thing I wanted to comment on was the lack of embarrassing stuff for the industry this year. We did very good and I think the companies are starting to figure out how to play this game. Either that, or it is pure luck. lol But hey, I like to think that everyone is learning from past mistakes and applying Kaizen to their operations.
Even the government is starting to learn how to do this better. I was very enthused to see them switch things up for this Camp Leatherneck contract, and hopefully Best Value continues to be used in future contracts. God knows we have plenty of reports and data on how to do this stuff right, and after ten years of war. lol
For history, my posts on civilian Scouts and their importance during the Civil War and Indian wars were really fun. Of course I was able to dig up more stuff on privateers and I really like the stuff I found on the Flying Tigers. The Pinkertons made a good showing this year as well.
The blog had some technological stumbles this year. I had a major issue with the original blog theme and had to switch to something new with a better platform. As a result, Feral Jundi got a new theme and guts and I like it a lot. I have also received a ton of emails from folks who like the theme, and thanks to everyone for their help in making a better product.
I also set up advertising this year, and that has been a fun. It gives those businesses out there a chance to get some exposure on a site that is very much read by this industry. I also set up my mobile platform for the blog, and I am very happy with that. Since setting that up, I have had 24,792 visits from mobile devices this year. The top devices used were Apple products like iPhone, iPad, and iPod. Android was used as well.
As for 2012, it will be steady as she goes. I think things will remain busy for the industry and we will continue to be called upon to secure many important things to the world markets. Especially the energy markets. From guarding oil tankers from pirates, to guarding oil facilities and those personnel involved, energy will be key. Especially as the world continues to get more chaotic due to revolutions and economic woes.
I will really keep an eye on Iraq, as will everyone else. Afghanistan will be more of the same this year, but I also expect to see more use of contractors as that war winds down. Especially for training or taking over basic base security contracts.
Then there are the casualties in this industry. This last year I have been trying to track deaths, injuries, and POW/MIA contractors. I will ask the readership to continue to help me keep this stuff current. I have dedicated pages up top for this stuff, and I will continue to keep that updated as best as I can. They will not be forgotten and my heart goes out to the friends and families of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Finally, I wanted to mention the cartels in Mexico as an area that I will look at and follow closely. That war is pretty intense and right on the US border. So it certainly matters to me, and I will keep my eye out for this industry’s further involvement down there. Good luck to everyone out there and thanks for making Feral Jundi what it is today! –Matt
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