Feral Jundi

Friday, March 26, 2010

Training: EDCD And Mental Resiliency Training For High Stress Operations

Filed under: Canada,Medical,Training — Tags: , , , , , , , — Matt @ 1:36 AM

   This is a project that Angela and company have been working on, and I wanted to get the word out about it.  I like the concept and think that this is the kind of stuff that will allow anyone in this field, or any high risk field, to continue working and effectively dealing with mental trauma when it happens.

    EDCD gives you the tools necessary to deal with the tough stuff.  Things like deploying to disaster zones like Haiti where thousands of people have been killed, surviving IED’s and ambushes in wars like Iraq or Afghanistan, or having co-workers killed or wounded in these war zones. The idea of having the tools necessary to work through these traumatic events, or even help others who have gone through these traumatic events, is something that should be in everyone’s mental kit, and there just isn’t a lot out there that goes over this stuff. The modern militaries of the west have attempted to provide these tools of coping to the troops, but for private industry, there isn’t anything.  And we have talked about that here before and Angela has wrote some great stuff about the subject.

   Also, if you look at cases like Fitzsimmons, or with some of the suicides this industry has experienced, resiliency training might be something the companies could look at.  At least have something set up to direct contractors too if you have some contracts that put people in high stress positions.  The military is constantly trying to reach out to their soldiers in order to put a stop to any mental suffering out there.  Wars and disasters can mess up a brain pretty good sometimes, and civilian contractors are experiencing some of the same war time traumas as soldiers.  Yet there is nothing being done to deal with that fact.

   Now for a disclosure. I have never been through this course and I have not read any feedback about it. So I cannot give it the thumbs up or down.  But what I would like to do is promote it and get the readership to think about this stuff.  If you have gone through the course, I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter in the comments section.  I am sure Angela will pop up too if anyone has any questions.  –Matt

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Dear Colleague,

Resiliency has become a buzz word for all of us working within security and safety professions.

TRAINING personnel to adapt and prepare for high stress operations is a priority within all sectors.

EDCD TRAINING will help your teams to achieve higher levels of operational effectiveness.  What is EDCD?

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Thursday, March 25, 2010

Maritime Security: Private Security Repels An Assault, One Pirate Killed

Filed under: Maritime Security,Somalia — Tags: , , , , , , , — Matt @ 1:10 AM

   Excellent.  This is yet again the kind of stuff that will give today’s pirates a pause next time they want to attack a boat. What I would like to know is what weapons and tactics these guys were using?  Because other security details on boats could be learning from these incidents, and improving their own operations based on this information.  So if anyone reading this that is intimately involved with EU NAVFOR or the company providing the security detail on this boat, please speak up. (or contact me through the FJ contact page)

   Now the only down side in my view, is that why was there only one guy killed and why was he killed with just ‘small caliber’ ammunition?  Does that mean that the security detailed showered these boats with 9mm bullets, fired from one or two pistols, and that this whole thing was pure luck that they were able to actually kill one of these guys or stop the attack?  Or did they have sufficient fire power to deal with these thugs?  My guess is that they did not have sufficient fire power, because if they did, there should have been more dead pirates.

     I also think the pirates probably would have ran off after the first assault, if they did come up against sufficient fire power.  But I am not going to monday morning quarterback this too much, because this security detail still kicked ass.  Bravo to them, and bravo to the EU NAVFOR task force for quickly responding to the distress call.  Quick Reaction Forces will be essential for these private security details who are doing the best they can with what they got out there.  Sending a helicopter gunship is a good call, or sending whatever they can that is fast and lethal is absolutely vital if they want to keep up a good record of combating pirates and protecting ships. –Matt

Edit: 03/25/2010 – And the very next day, all six pirates were released because no one wanted to make statements.  This catch and release crap has got to stop.  From the bickering about armed security on ships, to this pathetic releasing of pirates back into the wild, is all just mind numbingly stupid. Read the rest here.

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Pirate Dies in Attempted Hijacking – EU NAVFOR Detains Pirate Action Group

March 24, 2010

by EU NAVFOR Public Affairs Office

Early on the morning of Tuesday 23 March, an EU NAVFOR warship received a distress call from a merchant ship off the Somalia coast and proceeded at high speed to assist.

As previously reported, the Panamanian-flagged cargo ship, MV ALMEZAAN, en route to Mogadishu, was under attack from pirates. An armed private vessel protection detachment on board the ship returned fire, successfully repelling the first attack, but the pirates continued to pursue. A second attack was repelled and the pirates fled the area.

The EU NAVFOR frigate ESPS NAVARRA, from the Spanish Navy, was dispatched by the Force Commander, Rear Admiral Giovanni Gumiero of the Italian Navy, and raced to the scene of the incident. She launched her helicopter, quickly locating the ALMEZAAN and the pirates’ boats, known as skiffs. When the suspects failed to heed the helicopter’s instructions to stop, warning shots were fired by the aircraft, after which a team from NAVARRA boarded a skiff.

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Legal News: The Feds Continue Their Xe Witch Hunt With A ‘Raid’, And Possible Weapons Charges

Filed under: Law Enforcement,Legal News — Tags: , , , , , , , — Matt @ 12:29 AM

     Company officials, including both Jackson and Howell, downplayed the raid during the interview. Jackson said some of the 16 uniformed officers who came to serve the warrant were embarrassed by the event and said agents had to stop at Blackwater’s front gate to get passes to come onto the company’s sprawling campus in northeastern North Carolina.

“As a hypothetical, one would think that, if you were going on a raid, you’d take your Kevlar and your weapon,” Howell said to laughter from other executives. 

*****

     Just stop already.  I am actually kind of embarrassed for these federal prosecutors, because this witch hunt is so politically obvious, it’s not even funny. I really feel bad for the officers that had to serve the warrant.

     Look, Xe’s training facilities have cycled thousands of police officers through their program.  What possible motivation would the have, to even attempt to break the law or try to screw over the local Camden County Sheriff Department?  If they did, their cash cow called ‘training’ would effectively be destroyed because what cop would want to do business with them? Common sense should dictate. And hey, what do you know, cops have been storing weapons on a fire arms training facility–the shock of it all!! –Matt

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AP Exclusive: Charges eyed for ex-Blackwater boss

By DEVLIN BARRETT and MIKE BAKER (AP)

March 25, 2010

WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors are considering weapons charges against former executives at Blackwater Worldwide over allegations the private security company illegally stockpiled automatic rifles at its North Carolina headquarters, The Associated Press has learned.

Senior Justice Department officials are reviewing a draft indictment against former president Gary Jackson, former Blackwater general counsel Andrew Howell, and a third man who used to work at the firm’s armory, people close to the case told the AP. A decision is not expected until at least next month.

Blackwater has repeatedly been under federal scrutiny — from the FBI to Congress to agencies that have hired the firm. While some of the company’s guards have faced charges for their actions overseas, Blackwater’s executives have managed to weather a range of investigations.

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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Africa: East Africa Oil, AFRICOM Is In Position, And 10,000 Ugandans With Iraq Experience Are Ready

Filed under: Africa,Industry Talk,Somalia,Uganda — Tags: , , , , , , , — Matt @ 4:02 AM

   This is a quick one I wanted to put out.  I was talking with friends the other day about the Ugandans in Iraq, and how significant their work is to the economy of Uganda.  The money brought in from security work, surpasses what is made off their chief export called coffee, and that is pretty significant.  So the question is, what happens when the work dries up in Iraq?  All of these Ugandan guards are going to be looking for work, and most of the security work in Afghanistan is going to the local nationals.

   So this is what I am starting to piece together, and I am going to take a guess as to where all these guards are going to go next.  I think the plan all along was to professionalize Ugandans for a whole slew of tasks that AFRICOM and the west has in mind for East Africa.  From dealing with Jihadists in Somalia with the AU force, to providing recruits for the Ugandan Army so they can deal with the LRA and others, to protecting this new ‘hot oil zone’ in East Africa.  Ugandans are gonna be in high demand, and we have effectively trained them up with the work in Iraq. Intentional or not, I thought it was interesting to make the connection for the big picture.

   This is not to say that this was the official strategy of the US and AFRICOM all along.  But you have to look at these three stories below, and not think ‘how convenient’?  lol The coming resource war is all about securing our place at the oil trough and making sure there are competent forces to protect that stuff. Thanks to Iraq, we now have a ton of ready made guards or ‘soldiers’ to make that happen.  Let me know what you guys think. –Matt

Edit: 06/11/2010- This is an excellent run down of the current dynamics of oil in this East Africa region.  Good job to Jody.

“Uganda’s recent oil discovery has the chance to reshape relations with its neighbors and the West as energy multinationals eye potential opportunities“

By Jody Ray Bennett for ISN Security Watch

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East Africa is next hot oil zone

March. 10, 2010

NAIROBI, Kenya, March 10 (UPI) — East Africa is emerging as the next oil boom following a big strike in Uganda’s Lake Albert Basin. Other oil and natural gas reserves have been found in Tanzania and Mozambique and exploration is under way in Ethiopia and even war-torn Somalia.

The region, until recently largely ignored by the energy industry, is “the last real high-potential area in the world that hasn’t been fully explored,” says Richard Schmitt, chief executive officer of Dubai’s Black Marlin Energy, which is prospecting in East Africa.

The discovery at Lake Albert, in the center of Africa between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, is estimated to contain the equivalent of several billion barrels of oil. It is likely to be the biggest onshore field found south of the Sahara Desert in two decades.

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Industry Talk: State Will Hire Contractor To Supervise Private Embassy Guards

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk — Tags: , , , , , , — Matt @ 1:51 AM

   Thanks to Samuel for providing the link to this story. So now we are into the practice of hiring a contractor to supervise a contractor? I guess alarm bells should be going off right now. lol  That way, DoS can blame contractors for everything and they can just wash their hands of the whole thing!

    I have to say, I just don’t get why this is sooooo hard for the DoS to comprehend.  If they just hired the guys they need through the federal system, and actually get off their ass and manage the contract, they just might get the kind of performance and service they desire. And if they are not getting enough folks, then up the pay for the thing.  If you pay a decent salary for these jobs, you will get plenty of applicants. But if you pay peanuts, you will get monkeys or worse yet, you will get no one.

    Is this laziness, a lack of leadership or a refusal to do what is right?  This just perplexes me, and especially with all the negative press they received on this.  This is just as perplexing as reducing the police training schedule for Afghans in the latest contract announcement from eight weeks to six weeks, and then expecting the company that wins the contract to produce competent police. It’s almost as if the government wants private industry to fail.

   Now I am not going to say that this so called ‘personal services’ contractor can’t do the job. I actually hope they kick ass. All I am saying is that you would think that the DoS would actually perform this job themselves so they don’t get another scathing report from the IG or run into another embarrassing incident with a poor performing company.

   On the positive side, I wonder who this company is that will be performing these third party services?  Will they be doing covert and overt inspections, and applying best industry practices to managing this contract?  How involved will they be in the supervision of this thing and will AGNA or whomever actually be on their best behavior around this company or what? Most of all, is this a sign of things to come–to have private industry tasked with managing private industry? –Matt

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State will hire contractor to supervise private embassy guards

By Robert Brodsky

March 23, 2010

The State Department plans to hire a personal services contractor to help supervise a private security company photographed last year hosting rowdy, alcohol-fueled parties near the American Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan.

In response to questions from the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight, Ambassador Eric Boswell said State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security is in the process of selecting and hiring a personal services contractor that will reside at Camp Sullivan, just outside the embassy. A Diplomatic Security special agent currently oversees the camp.

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