All of these just popped up the last couple of days and I wanted to get this out there. Just reading through all of them, they all repeat the same things. The contracting mechanism will be that concept I loathe called LPTA or Lowest Priced Technically Acceptable. Or what I call the ‘lowest bidder’. So lowest bidder security is what is acceptable for the protection of our most cherished assets in this war–our soldiers and civilians serving there?
What really kills me though is that the only ones that can bid are those companies who are registered with the Afghanistan Minister of Interior. So anyone not on the list is out.
I certainly hope for the sake of those who will be living at these COBs and FOBs, that when your lowest bidder PSC’s show up to provide protection, that you are able to sleep comfortably at nights. I have no idea if they will be putting these folks up on the walls, or just posting them at interior facilities. Nor do I have an idea of who they will use as security contractors, but you can guess that they will be ‘bottom of the barrel’ forces. And of course it will be pissed off expats running the whole thing and having to manage that mess.
Either way, the US military has no one else to blame but themselves for using such a god awful contracting tool. LPTA might be good for trash disposal or pest control, but it is a terrible idea when it comes to protecting peoples lives in war zones. You get what you pay for.
To put it another way, I would not use LPTA for picking a doctor to save my mother’s life, nor would I advocate using LPTA for protection services in a war zone. Pfffft. –Matt
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PRIVATE SECURITY CONTRACTOR (PSC) SERVICES @ COB BLACKHAWK, AFGHANISTAN
W91B4L-10-R-0230
COB BLACKHAWK, AFGHANISTAN KANDAHAR PROVINCE,
09355 AF
Department of the Army
Joint Contracting Command, Iraq/Afgahnistan
KANDAHAR RCC
COMBINE
07/25/10
*****
PRIVATE SECURITY CONTRACTOR (PSC) SERVICES AT FOB TARIN KOWT, AFGHANISTAN
W91B4L-10-T-0058
FOB TARIN KOWT AFGHANISTAN FOB TARIN KOWT, 1
09355 AF
Department of the Army
Joint Contracting Command, Iraq/Afgahnistan
KANDAHAR RCC
COMBINE
07/26/10
*****
PRIVATE SECURITY CONTRACTOR (PSC) SERVICES AT FOB HADRIAN, AFGHANISTAN
W91B4L-10-T-0059
FOB Hadrian, Afghanistan FOB Hadrian, 1
09355 AF
Department of the Army
Joint Contracting Command, Iraq/Afgahnistan
KANDAHAR RCC
COMBINE
07/27/10
*****
PRIVATE SECURITY CONTRACTOR (PSC) SERVICES AT ANCOP HQ, AFGHANISTAN
W91B4L-10-T-0077
ANCOC HQ Kandahar Kandahar, 1
09355 AF
Department of the Army
Joint Contracting Command, Iraq/Afgahnistan
KANDAHAR RCC
COMBINE
07/27/10