Feral Jundi

Friday, August 13, 2010

Industry Talk: NATO Slack Forces US To Send More Soldier And Contractor Trainers To Afghanistan

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk,Training — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 10:36 PM

     This story is interesting for a couple of reasons.  Awhile back I wrote a post that dealt with this type of problem specifically, and how contractors are the ones who will be taking up the ‘slack’.  Matter of fact, that is part of the title of the post. Afghanistan: So As NATO Falters Or Members Leave, Will Contractors Pick Up The Slack?

     One thing that struck me was the numbers mentioned in this story about how many contractor trainers are over there now.  I think that number is much larger than the 2,000 that is mentioned.  I could be wrong, and I only say this because DoD really hasn’t been that accurate with their contractor accounting.  Still, 2,000 contractor trainers is pretty significant.

     The other part that I wanted to mention, was the idea that it takes NATO so long to spin up the required amount of manpower, and yet there was no mention on how fast it takes contractors to be spun up and sent over.  Of course NPR did not want to minimize the capability of the US military, but in all honesty, private industry is the winner for speed of deployment and quantity needed when it comes to training stuff.  Hell, the only thing that slows down contractor deployments, is the lack of government CORs needed to manage the whole contract to ensure it is properly carried out. lol But in this race, we excel.

     The three month training deployment that the 82nd Airborne finished was pretty cool too.  Three month deployments are nice, and private industry is the king of utilizing short deployment contracts like this.  Could we see the military do more of these types of deployments?  I know the troops would probably dig it.

     I also wanted to give a big thanks and pat on the back to all of those contractors out there who are a part of this massive training effort in the war.  You are an essential part of today’s strategy, and today’s war planners and strategists might not appreciate what you do, but I certainly appreciate the hard work you are doing.

     My guess is that there will be more work coming too, so definitely keep up an eye on all the forums and job boards if you are planning to get into the training side of the business. –Matt

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NATO Slack Forces U.S. To Send Afghanistan Trainers

by Tom Bowman

August 13, 2010

American soldiers — and even private contractors — are spearheading the effort to build an Afghan army and police force, so American and NATO troops can one day leave. But Pentagon officials and military officers say NATO nations still aren’t doing enough.

A few weeks ago, hundreds of artillery troops and air defense artillery soldiers from Fort Sill in Oklahoma and Fort Campbell in Kentucky started heading over to Afghanistan. They weren’t part of the so-called surge in combat troops. Instead, Defense Secretary Robert Gates signed orders for them to work as trainers because European nations were too slow in helping out.

“We’re still not getting NATO able to force-generate and deploy forces in the numbers that we need,” says Army Lt. Gen. William Caldwell, who leads the training effort in Afghanistan. “So Gates said, ‘OK then, I’m going to give you another unit.’ “

It was the second time this year Gates said OK to more American trainers because NATO wasn’t picking up the slack. An 800-soldier battalion from the 82nd Airborne Division just got back from Afghanistan on a three-month training mission, designed to serve as a “bridge” to more NATO troops.

But with the NATO troops still not arriving, the troops from Oklahoma and Kentucky were sent — for a year.

That’s annoying some members of Congress.

“NATO members who for whatever reason do not send additional combat troops or who intend to reduce their combat troop presence in the near future should at least be willing to provide trainers who operate away from the heavy fighting,” Sen. Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat who heads the Armed Services Committee, said at a recent hearing.

NATO is willing — to a point. It has sent about 900 trainers to work with Afghan soldiers and police. The U.S. has sent more than twice that number. American private contractors have sent 2,000.

(more…)

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Afghanistan: Karzai Calls For Ban On Foreign PSC’s To Get Back At U.S. Over Anticorruption Efforts

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk — Tags: , , , , — Matt @ 12:12 PM

   Karzai just kills me sometimes.  It was guys from DynCorp and other companies over the years that saved his life with professional PSD teams, over and over again.  But hey, if these anticorruption units are tearing apart Crazy Karzai’s little mafia, then that is great and he can cry all he wants. Maybe he will get the point that there are a lot of people fighting and dying for the sake of his government, and the least he could do is square away his house.  And if he can’t do it, then by god, we will pull him along kicking and screaming. Call it tough love. lol

   As for him actually banning companies?  Good luck there.  It is the foreign companies that are actually delivering a better service than these local afghani companies, just because these ‘foreign PSC’s’ have folks who are trained and have discipline.  They also operate with more scrutiny than any of the local companies.

   I think what might really be happening is that maybe these foreign companies are being tasked to watch over, or even take over some of these local national contracts that have been so screwed up.  If that is the case, then of course Crazy Karzai and his insane clown posse would be pissed, because that would cut into his crew’s profit margin. This is just another opportunity for him to try and further consolidate the market under his family’s control.  Just some thoughts on the matter, and it sounds like politics and business as usual.-Matt

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Karzai Calls for Ban on Private Security Companies

Afghan President’s Remarks Add to Strains With U.S. Over Anticorruption Efforts

AUGUST 8, 2010

By YAROSLAV TROFIMOV And MARIA ABI-HABIB

KABUL—Afghan President Hamid Karzai lashed out against foreign interference and called for a ban on the private security companies that protect many Western installations here, in a speech that ratchets up recent tensions with the U.S. over two American-backed anticorruption agencies.

“We have the ability to rule and govern our country and we have our sovereignty. We hope that NATO countries and the U.S. pay attention,” Mr. Karzai told a gathering of Afghan public servants in a speech on Saturday. “No Afghan administration will be successful unless it lays off its foreign advisers and replaces them with Afghans.”

The call to ban private security companies came a week after a convoy of DynCorp International, which provides security in Afghanistan under a U.S. State Department contract, was involved in a car accident that killed an Afghan civilian in Kabul. The accident sparked rioting and anti-American protests.

The 10 aid workers killed last week as they returned to Kabul from a remote part of the country didn’t have a security detail.

The Afghan leader’s defiant weekend speech came days after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton phoned Mr. Karzai to press him to live up to his anticorruption commitments, according to U.S. officials, warning that his recent attempt to weaken two U.S.-mentored antigraft agencies could endanger the chances of congressional approval for billions of dollars in aid to Afghanistan.

(more…)

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Call To Action: Vehicle Decals And Licenses In Iraq

Filed under: Call To Action,Industry Talk,Iraq — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 10:26 PM

     Hey folks, get the word out on this.  If you are having problems getting your vehicles credentialed for work in Iraq, then tell your company that traveling outside the wire is a no go.  The reason for that is if you are pulled over by the Iraqis and you do not have that stuff, you could get in some trouble.  The kind of trouble that could get you arrested or heavily fined by the Iraqis.  This is especially important now that Iraq is kind of in limbo with the government crap right now, and the police and military might not feel like playing nice with contractors.

     Hopefully in the case of DynCorp, they will get this squared away before they force their teams to travel without those credentials.  If any other contractors are running into the same issues with their company, or have any input, I am all ears. Bravo to this contractor who contacted Marc Ambinder and got the word out about this.  As the war winds down, and the military pulls out, these types of things will be more common and very important to hash out.  Definitely demand that your company does the right thing out there.

     This also goes to the US government and their relationship with Iraq.  This is some basic diplomatic stuff here.  I realize that we are trying to get the Iraqis to take charge of their country and get responsible, but we also have a responsibility to our contractor force. To do all we can to protect them from these Iraqi growing pains is in our best interest.  After all, contractors are putting their lives on the line in defense of government property and personnel–I would think that would count for something?-Matt

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Contractors Pressured to Perform in Iraq Without Valid Credentials

August 4, 2010

By Marc Ambinder

The United States is rapidly drawing down troops in Iraq, and contractors are picking up the slack. DynCorp International, in particular, employs hundreds of ex-soldiers and cops to act as bodyguards and shepherds for State Department personnel across the country. The company also trains Iraqi police forces.

DynCorp is under intense pressure to perform without blemish. Private security companies and their employees are under scrutiny from both the U.S. and Iraqi governments more than ever before because of a string of incidents. Within the military, soldiers who quit to join these companies are derided as “mercs.” The culture among DynCorp’s ranks is similar to that of elite military units — what happens out there stays out there. It’s dangerous. Contractors get killed and injured with regularity. The pay is OK — it starts at $90,000 a year — and the working conditions — living in tents, eating MREs — are harsh. State Department officials have told me that the U.S. is generally pleased with DynCorp’s performance so far … but DynCorp is pretty much the only company that can do what State needs it to do.

But one member of an elite unit, a former Army Ranger who asked not to be identified, is concerned that DynCorp and the U.S. government are cutting corners unnecessarily.

(more…)

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

PMC 2.0: The Middle East Declares War Against BlackBerry Smart Phones

Filed under: Afghanistan,Kuwait,PMC 2.0,Technology,UAE — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 1:28 AM

     The  author of “City of Gold” a history of Dubai, Jim Krane said, “The U.A.E. has never been a place that offered much in the way of electronic privacy. “The government makes no secret that it monitors electronic communication, including text messages, phone calls and e-mail. The revelation that secure BlackBerry data is frustratingly out of the government’s reach only confirms this.” 

*****

     This is definitely some PMC 2.0 news, just because many contractors carry BlackBerry smart phones, and many companies have management teams that depend upon this phone.  So imagine all these guys having to give up those phones just to do business in the middle east?

     One interesting tidbit with all of this is that these countries really don’t have a problem with iPhones, just because they can easily monitor the traffic on those devices. That is good and bad for contractors that have iPhones.  It kind of confirms what the best phone is for privacy–the BlackBerry.  Although there are still ways to make iPhones secure, it’s just with this crackdown on ‘CrackBerry’s’, it seems that the BlackBerry is the winner.

      Below, I posted three articles.  The last one is from 2005, but still a good one on how PIN messaging works for BlackBerry phones. The other articles detail what fears the various middle eastern countries have in regards to the BlackBerry. Interesting stuff. –Matt

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UAE crackdown on BlackBerry services to extend to foreign visitors

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — The United Arab Emirates’ crackdown on BlackBerry services will extend to foreign visitors, putting the government’s concerns over the smartphones in direct conflict with the country’s ambitions to be a business and tourism haven.

The UAE’s telecommunications regulator said Monday that travelers to the city-state of Dubai and the important oil industry center of Abu Dhabi will — like 500,000 local subscribers — have to do without BlackBerry e-mail, messaging and Web services starting Oct. 11, even when they carry phones issued in other countries. The handsets themselves will still be allowed for phone calls.

UAE authorities say the move is based on security concerns because BlackBerry transmissions are automatically routed to company computers abroad, where it is difficult for local authorities to monitor for illegal activity or abuse.

Critics of the crackdown say it is also a way for the country’s conservative government to further control content it deems politically or morally objectionable.

(more…)

Monday, August 2, 2010

Industry Talk: Use Of Force And Riot Control For Contractors

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk,Iraq,Law Enforcement,Publications — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 1:56 AM

     What I wanted to do here is go over a very tough problem for contractors, that really has not been addressed by the industry or today’s war planners. The latest incident in Kabul serves as an example of a real problem out there, and that is what happens when contractors are the victims of riots? Worse yet, what happens when they are the targets of ‘agents provocateurs’ in war zones, who are trying to create riots as a way to attack contractors or the military? Because these guys in Kabul could have ended up like the Blackwater contractors who were burned and hanged on a bridge in Fallujah Iraq.

     So with this post, I wanted to find out what contractors could do in these kinds of situations. I decided to put up a section of a FM manual on how the military deals with riots, but as you can see, there is nothing in these FM manuals on what contractors can or should do in such situations. I don’t even know of any civilian schools that train contractors to deal with such a threat, and especially for small teams in one or two vehicle motorcades.

     With a quick search, I did come across an article about Xe having CS gas in Iraq, and the outrage and shock that caused. But of course, the only reason why they would have such a thing is so that they could have something other than bullets to disperse a crowd with. As it stands now, if contractors are not allowed to use non-lethal munitions like CS gas or whatever, then of course contractors will be put in a position of either A. standing there and die by the hands of a violent crowd or C. shoot their weapons in self defense. A stone can kill a man, and especially when a hundred stones are thrown at that man. Shooting your weapon to defend self or others, is a main theme of the Rules for the Use of Force, but of course it would be far better if there was a way to not use that weapon. If using CS gas to disperse that violent crowd could be the non-lethal ‘B.” solution in this incident, then to me that is logical. And yet contractors are not allowed to have this stuff, or it is ‘shocking’ if they have it?

     The other question this brings up is what are the appropriate riot control or just riot survival tactics for a small team that is entrapped or involved in a similar situation as the guys in Kabul were? For that, I urge contractors and companies alike to war game the appropriate response to such a thing, and figure out what works for you in your neighborhood. Talk it up with the local military forces and get some suggestions from them if you are stumped. Find those in your team who have law enforcement or military police backgrounds who might have experience in riot control and figure out the best SOP’s. Because no one has yet to write a chapter in the FM manuals or give out any kind of guidance to this massive contractor force operating outside the wire in Iraq and Afghanistan.

     I also think this is of strategic importance, because it would be far better if contractors were implementing SOPs for dealing with crowds that did not endanger the various regional strategies, or overall COIN strategy in the war. Something to think about, and I would like to hear what you guys think. –Matt

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FM 3-19.40 Appendix B

Use of Force and Riot Control Measures

The I/R facility commander provides guidance to all MP guard forces in the appropriate use of force to protect internees and internment facilities and to control unruly and rebellious internee populations. This includes establishing uniform procedures that govern the use of force, weapons, and restraining devices. He ensures that a QRF is organized and trained to respond to disturbances inside and outside the facility—whether prisoners are creating a disturbance or there is a Level I threat against the facility. Supporting MP units train squad- to platoon-sized QRFs and squad-sized elements for extraction and apprehension teams. (See FM 19-15 for more information on civil disturbances.)

USE OF FORCE

B-1. When force is necessary, use it according to the priorities of force and limit it to the minimum degree necessary. (See AR 190-14 for the use of deadly force.) The application of any or all of the priorities of force, or the application of a higher numbered priority without first employing a lower numbered one, depends on and will be consistent with the situation encountered. Per AR 190-47, the priorities of force are—

• First: Verbal persuasion.

• Second: Show of force.

• Third: Chemical aerosol irritant projectors (subject to local and HN restrictions).

• Fourth: Use of physical force (other than weapons fire).

• Fifth: Presentation of deadly force.

• Sixth: Deadly force.

B-2. The I/R commander coordinates with the higher echelon commander and the SJA. He designates representatives who are authorized to direct the use of firearms and riot control agents during riots or disturbances. He includes the rules for using these means in appropriate plans, orders, SOPs, and instructions. He specifies the types of weapons to be used, which are not limited to shotguns and pistols for guarding prisoners.

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