Feral Jundi

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Industry Talk: More Contractors Than Troops Killed During Past Year In Iraq And Afghanistan

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk,Iraq — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 11:38 PM

Indeed, the total number of what might be termed “total U.S. fatalities” now should exceed 7,500. That’s because, as of June 2010, more than 2,008 contractors have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Another 44 contractors killed were in Kuwait, many of whom supported the same missions. On top of that, more than 44,000 contractors have been injured, of which more than 16,000 were seriously wounded. 

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     This is probably the most under reported and least known aspect of this war. And these are just the deaths that can be identified through the Labor Department’s insurance claims database.  I would speculate that the amount of deaths is much greater if there was a full accounting of all Iraqi and Afghan contractor deaths. In my view, those lives mean just as much as any other contractor’s life. These figures also do not take into account those families that did not file an insurance claim for the loss of their loved one.

    The wounded figures are startling as well. Especially the seriously wounded.  Do we have double, triple or even quad amputees? How many TBI cases? How many burn victims? I imagine we have many of the same types of injuries as the military. For that, if there are any wounded contractors reading this, thank you for your sacrifice and I hope the pain diminishes and healing continues.

     Probably the most elusive numbers out there about our wounded, are the mentally wounded contractors.  Many veterans come into contracting with a brain filled with their past military experiences–to include PTSD. But what happens to contractors who might have PTSD caused by their time on contracts? Or how about the suicide rates for contractors?

     I know Propublica/T. Christian Miller has done some great reporting on these types of subjects, but what I would really like to see is the government get more involved with this stuff. That is the right thing to do in my view, and it has been severely lacking. –Matt

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More contractors than troops killed during past year in Iraq and Afghanistan

By Katherine McIntire Peters

September 22, 2010

Recent data show that more contractors were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan than U.S. troops during the first six months of 2010, according to a George Washington University law professor.

“Contractors supporting the war effort today are losing more lives than the U.S. military waging these wars,” wrote Steven L. Schooner, co-director of the Government Procurement Law Program at The George Washington Law School, and Collin D. Swan, a student there. Their article appeared in the September issue of Service Contractor magazine, a quarterly publication of the Professional Services Council, an industry group.

The data show that in the first half of 2010, contractor fatalities in Afghanistan for the first time exceeded troop fatalities — 232 and 195, respectively. Contractor deaths in Iraq surpassed military deaths there beginning in 2009. Between January 2009 and June 2010, there were 204 contractor deaths and 188 troop deaths in Iraq.

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Industry Talk: Is The UK Preparing To Scrap The Security Industry Authority?

Filed under: Industry Talk,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , , , , , — Matt @ 10:44 PM

     This is odd, and it is kind of funny to read. Here is the US trying to regulate and license our guards to keep a check on the industry, and yet here is the UK trying to ‘reduce burdensome regulation’. lol

     I will not say too much about this because it is a little out of my lane.  In the past, we had some guest authors and readers discussing the pros and cons of the SIA and I really don’t know how effective it is right now? Maybe it is not needed or that it is not effectively screening folks and too costly? Perhaps government is not able to regulate it because of how inefficient and slow it can be?

     Who knows but either way, the whole world is watching the UK and how it treats this issue.  I have mentioned the US, India, and China as three countries looking hard at regulating this industry and the UK is one of the few places that has actually done this.  Imperfect–maybe, but none the less they have licensed and regulated their industry.

     The other thing I was thinking about was how this might impact contracts throughout the world?  If the SIA is no longer in existence, then British and commonwealth type companies would have one less means of sifting through folks. It would be interesting to hear what Andy Bearpark and others have to say about this one? –Matt

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Security sector quango faces axe in cost drive

By Glenn Campbell Scotland correspondent

22 September 2010

The Home Office is preparing to scrap the body which regulates bouncers and other security workers across the UK.

The Security Industry Authority has been placed under the axe as part of a wider plan to cut the number and cost of public bodies.

Abolishing the SIA will not save taxpayers money because it is largely self-financing, but a Home Office document, seen by the BBC, suggests the move would save security firms money and contribute to “reducing burdensome regulation”.

The document suggests the industry has matured enough to police itself.

A Home Office spokesman said no final decision had been made but the department expected to “make an announcement in due course”.

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Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Publications: COMISAF’s Counterinsurgency Contracting Guidance

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk,Publications — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 12:34 AM

     Here it is.  Feel free to pass this around or go to the links below, and pass that around.  Lots of good commonsense stuff in there.  My only point to make with this publication is that prime contractors should definitely use this document as well, just so that we are all playing off the same sheet of music. –Matt

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COMISAF/CDR USFOR-A

For the Commanders, Contracting Personnel, Military Personnel, and Civilians of NATO ISAF and US Forces-Afghanistan

SUBJECT: COMISAF’s Counterinsurgency (COIN) Contracting GuidanceDownload Official Release

The scale of our contracting efforts in Afghanistan represents both an opportunity and a danger. With proper oversight, contracting can spur economic development and support the Afghan government’s and ISAF’s campaign objectives. If, however, we spend large quantities of international contracting funds quickly and with insufficient oversight, it is likely that some of those funds will unintentionally fuel corruption, finance insurgent organizations, strengthen criminal patronage networks, and undermine our efforts in Afghanistan.

In view of these points, contracting has to be “Commander’s business.” Indeed, I expect Commanders to consider the effects of our contract spending and understand who benefits from it. We must use intelligence to inform our contracting and ensure those with whom we contract work for the best interests of the Afghan people. We must be better buyers and buy from better people. Consistent with NATO and national contracting laws and regulations, we must:

Understand the role of contracting in COIN. Purchases we make for construction, goods, and services can bolster economic growth, stability, and Afghan goodwill toward their government and ISAF. Contracts with Afghan firms that procure Afghan goods and services generate employment and assist in the development of a sustainable economy. However, if we contract with powerbrokers who exclude those outside their narrow patronage networks or are perceived as funneling resources to one community at the expense of another, the effect on Afghan perceptions and our mission will be negative. Thus, we must incorporate COIN Contracting topics into training for Commanders.

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Monday, September 13, 2010

Afghanistan: US Trying To Track Missing Weapons Issued To Afghan Police

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk,Logistics — Tags: , , , , , , , — Matt @ 1:31 AM

“He gets it done,” Maj. Fred Tanner, 1st Squadron operations officer, said of Kahn. “He has 500 guys on the Afghan government payroll but he can call on about 1,500.”

Ginty said Kahn spends some of the money he makes on supplying his men.

“It’s frustrating when the contractors have these big forts and no issues with weapons and manning, and the government forces are withering on the vine,” Ginty said, adding that police logistical problems don’t help recruitment efforts.

The answer is for the U.S. military to partner with the ANP at provincial level or higher to make sure staff is getting equipment out to units in the field, he said. 

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     Nothing new here either.  Of course these weapons were sold by Afghan government officials.  What else could have happened to them?  Like they magically disappeared into thin air or Afghan gremlins took them from armories or from sleeping soldiers? Ha! I guarantee that these weapons are in the hands of the Taliban or PSC’s, because we actually trusted that the Afghans could be responsible with this stuff. It also makes me sick to think that US and Coalition forces have probably been killed by these weapons.

    You know, there are so many ways out there for us to insert some accountability into this system. For one, we can actually be in charge of the weapons, and not the Afghans.  Or whomever in the Afghan government is tasked with weapons procurement and management of the logistics system is, we put a mentor right next too him as part of the conditions of this ‘weapons and equipment gift package’.  We are giving them these weapons for free and it should be within our right to watch over the whole process.  Trust, but verify.

    Probably the best part of this whole article though was the mention of how well Afghan contractor companies are able to equip and arm their security contractors.  I chuckled, because of course private industry is better at watching this stuff than government. The CEO only benefits if his contractors do well on the contract and out performs the enemy and the company’s competitors. To do well and maintain their lead in the industry, they need capable and well paid men, functional weapons, plenty of ammunition and good equipment/vehicles/uniforms–the same things that governments need and should care about.

     I wouldn’t doubt that these companies probably bought some of these black market weapons for contracts. Why wouldn’t they? I would rather see a private company get them who at least can provide services to our side, than have the Taliban get them and kill troops. Too bad the Afghan government could care less about taking care of their own troops and defeating the Taliban, and more about lining their pockets. –Matt

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U.S. trying to track missing weapons issued to Afghan police

By SETH ROBSON

September 11, 2010

Soldiers with the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment patrol alongside Afghan National Police in Kandahar province.

TIRIN KOT, Afghanistan — A massive hunt is on for tens of thousands of rifles, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers that the U.S. government procured for the Afghan National Police but are unaccounted for, according to the NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan.

“There have been discrepancies in the number of weapons the Afghans say they have and the number of weapons issued,” U.S. Air Force Maj. Lindsay Logsdon, a public affairs officer with NTM-A, said in an e-mail Wednesday.

According to Logsdon, the Department of Defense procured more than 72,400 AK-47s, as well as heavy machine guns and RPG launchers for Afghan police. Coalition forces are attempting to track exactly where the weapons are — amid allegations by the military and others that some police weapons may have ended up in the hands of the Taliban.

Logsdon did not provide details on how many weapons have been tracked. She said there are weapons and equipment shortages at Afghan police units all over the country, but that the extent of the problem is unclear.

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Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Mexico: Drug Cartels Cripple Pemex Operations In Basin

Filed under: Industry Talk,Mexico — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 9:45 PM

     This sucks for Mexico and Pemex, but until they do the things necessary to properly secure these pipelines, then they will continue to lose their so called ‘backbone of the nation’. If Pemex cannot trust local Mexican security companies, then hire globally. There are plenty of companies around the world who are providing security to oil companies operating in places like Iraq. Mexico is at war with these cartels and it would make sense to deploy military or contract security with experience in war zones to secure this vital national asset.

     Either lose that money to thieves, or spend that money to defend your property and livelihood. That is my thought on the matter.

     One other point that comes to mind about this troubling issue. If the drug cartels could do this to Pemex and Mexico, then why couldn’t they do this to oil platforms/drilling rigs? Especially the US owned rigs, because eventually the cartels are going to want to send a message to the US. Our money is helping to fuel Mexico’s war against the cartels, and we are naive to think that our actions will not invite any retaliation. Imagine a dozen BP style disasters? All I know is that if oil companies have not posted security on each rig, then we are giving an open invitation to terrorists and criminals to do all sorts of terrible things. –Matt

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Mexican drug cartels cripple Pemex operations in basin

September 06, 2010

By Tracy Wilkinson

The meandering network of pipes, wells and tankers belonging to the gigantic state oil company Pemex have long been an easy target of crooks and drug traffickers who siphon off natural gas, gasoline and even crude, robbing the Mexican treasury of hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

Now the cartels have taken sabotage to a new level: They’ve hobbled key operations in parts of the Burgos Basin, home to Mexico’s biggest natural gas fields.

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