As soon as I get a copy of the census, we will see how much security contractor use has risen in Iraq and Afghanistan. That is the statistic I like tracking, and I love to dangle that in the face of the anti-contractors out there.
But overall, nothing shocking in this article. We all knew we would be playing a big role in the surge, and we will continue to do so regardless of the little thanks we receive. Maybe one day, someone in a position of power will recognize the fact that we were crucial to the war effort.
One note in particular is that somehow the defense planners, congress, and President Obama are all still supporting the concept of contracting in this war, despite the pressure from the main stream media. So what does that mean if both President Bush (a Republican) and President Obama (a Democrat), became reliant on the use of contractors for their specific wartime goals? Does this mean that security contractors and contractors in general are legitimate forces, or do we become illegitimate as soon as the war is over and the historians start cranking out the books?
Gosh, I certainly feel legitimate, regardless of what the MSM might have to say about it. And here are the numbers….. lol –Matt
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Afghanistan Contractors Outnumber Troops
Despite Surge in U.S. Deployments, More Civilians Are Posted in War Zone; Reliance Echoes the Controversy in Iraq
By AUGUST COLE
August 22, 2009
Even as U.S. troops surge to new highs in Afghanistan they are outnumbered by military contractors working alongside them, according to a Defense Department census due to be distributed to Congress — illustrating how hard it is for the U.S. to wean itself from the large numbers of war-zone contractors that proved controversial in Iraq.
The number of military contractors in Afghanistan rose to almost 74,000 by June 30, far outnumbering the roughly 58,000 U.S. soldiers on the ground at that point. As the military force in Afghanistan grows further, to a planned 68,000 by the end of the year, the Defense Department expects the ranks of contractors to increase more.