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Friday, April 29, 2011

Industry Talk: MPRI Contractor James McLaughlin One Of Nine Americans Killed In Afghanistan Shooting

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk — Tags: Afghanistan, contractor casualty statistics, contractors, dead, Industry Talk, James McLaughlin, killed, L-3, MPRI, Paul Almryde, private contractors, private military contractors — Matt @ 11:16 PM

Rest in peace to James and the rest of the Americans killed in this tragic incident in Kabul. This has been a bad couple of weeks for MPRI and with the loss of Paul Almryde and James, these deaths tragically mark the beginning of the spring fighting season.

I would also like to remind the reader that the sacrifice of contractors in Afghanistan has been steep. Here are the latest figures from wikipedia, which also draws from the DoL.

The U.S. Department of Labor confirmed that by March 31, 2011, a total of 763 civilian contractors were killed in Afghanistan. Of which, during the period between June 2009 and April 2010, 260 were private security contractors or PMCs.

If you look up in the Contractor Casualty Statistics box here on the blog, I try to keep everything close to current. But obviously these latest deaths have added to this unfortunate list in Afghanistan. To all friends and family members of fallen contractors, the sacrifices of these heroes will not be forgotten. My heart also goes out to the military men and women who have also given the ultimate sacrifice and last pound of flesh in this war. Semper fi. –Matt

James McLaughlin

James McLaughlin of Santa Rosa dead in Afghan war
Henry K. Lee
Friday, April 29, 2011
Civilian contractor James McLaughlin of Santa Rosa was killed with eight troops.
Sandy McLaughlin of Santa Rosa used Skype twice a day to talk to her husband while the retired Army veteran worked as a civilian contractor in Afghanistan. Seeing his wife over the video phone was the highlight of his day.
On Tuesday night, James McLaughlin Jr., 55, gave his wife his usual send-off: “OK, I gotta go. I love you. Bye-bye.”
Hours later, James McLaughlin was dead, one of nine Americans shot and killed at a military compound near the Kabul airport by a veteran Afghan military pilot. (more…)

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Thursday, September 16, 2010

Industry Talk: The Pony Express Comes To Afghanistan–Contractors Delivering Mail!

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk — Tags: Afghanistan, Aviation, Industry Talk, mail, pony express, postal service, private contractors, private security, security contractors, SOC, world wide language resources — Matt @ 1:54 AM

A hat tip to Danger Zone Jobs for putting this one out there. I haven’t a clue how these two companies will deliver this stuff, and it will either be by air or by convoy on land. I kind of assume that the SOC contract will be on land, just because they have folks over there doing convoy operations already. But you never know, and everyone might be using helicopters for this gig. I was not able to get many details about this one and if anyone in the know has stuff to add, just put it in the comments section.

Either way, I thought it was interesting to note that it is private industry once again, delivering the mail through some dangerous country for the US Government. What would really be cool is if these companies made team patches with Pony Express logos on them? lol –Matt

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Pony Express

World Wide Language Resources Awarded $13.9m for Postal Operations in AfghanistanBy Department of DefenseTuesday, September 14, 2010

World Wide Language Resources, Fayetteville, N.C., was awarded on Sept. 9 a $13,969,713 fixed-fee-price contract to provide postal operations in Afghanistan including, but not limited to, Bagram Airfield, Kandahar Airfield, Lagman, Airborne, Konduz, Fenty, Salerno, Sharana, Camp Phoenix, Camp Eggers, Tarin Kowt, Farah, Shank, and Qaiat.

Estimated completion date is Sept. 8, 2015, with work to be performed in Afghanistan.

Bids were solicited on the Web with four bids received. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (W52P1J-10-C-0047).

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SOC-Afghanistan Awarded $9.3m for US Mail Transportation Services

By Department of DefenseTuesday, September 14, 2010

SOC-Afghanistan, Minden, Nev., was awarded on Sept. 10 a $9,336,687 firm-fixed-price contract to provide U.S. mail transportation services from Bragram to Shank, Fenty, and Kabul.

Estimated completion date is Sept. 9, 2015, with work to be performed in Afghanistan.

Bids were solicited on the web with nine bids received. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (W52P1J-10-C-0059).

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Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Industry Talk: Were ArmorGroup Allegations Quashed?

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk — Tags: Afghanistan, ArmorGroup, DoS, Krongard, private contractors, private security contractors, security contracting — Matt @ 10:35 AM

Attkisson asked Krongard about the conflict of interest:

Attkisson: Did you know your own brother was on ArmorGroup’s board of directors?

Krongard: No , I did not.

Attkisson: Why didn’t you know?

Krongard: Dunno. I guess No. 1 I’m not sure why I should’ve known, but No. 2 he never told me.

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Come on!…… You have to be kidding me, right? Howard had no idea that his own flesh and blood was a member of AGNA’s board of directors? Pfffft.

This just keeps getting better and better. All of this, because a few leaders did not have the courage to do what is right. –Matt

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Were ArmorGroup Allegations Quashed?

State Department Inspector Gen.’s Office “Lost” Complaint against Troubled Security Co.

By Sharyl Attkisson

09/30/2009

Howard Krongar’s job was to investigate alleged misconduct at the U.S. embassy in Kabul. Sharyl Attkisson reports on how one of his personal relationships may have prevented him from doing so.

A hearing has been held over the recently-leaked photos which reveal allegedly lewd behavior by employees hired to provide security for the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. Sharyl Attkisson reports.

John Gorman, a former manager with ArmorGroup, the private company hired to provide security at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul details what he knew and what happened when he tried to stop it.

Krongard is accused of improperly burying legitimate allegations against security contractors Blackwater and ArmorGroup while, and perhaps because, his brother sat on the boards of directors of those compines while he was charged with investigating them.

(more…)

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