Comments on: Contractors Cost Same as Military: CBO

By: 3 War LTC

3 War LTC — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 02:57:34 +0000

The CBO must be on Republican drugs. I first served in Vietnam, yes we had contractors there also but they were support contractors. I then served in ODS. I went into Kuwait City almost as soon as it was liberated. Gee, no one needed a Blackwater…there was sufficent military to do the job. Then in 2005–2006 I served in Iraq. What a difference. Any bean counter who claims that contractor prices and military prices are the same or nearly equal is either a sub-rosa agent for the contractors or can’t be trusted to balance a check book!

By: Cole

Cole — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:33:35 +0000

Frank, buddy, you worked for CSC in the 80’s? Ancient history…get over it.

Army:
http://www.csc.com/newsandevents/news/12329.shtml

http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/products/wta/

Air Force:
http://www.csc.com/newsandevents/news/14589.shtml

Navy:
http://www.csc.com/newsandevents/news/11269.shtml

BTW, private security guards in Iraq/Afghanistan may be making $445,000 a year…but it will take me nearly 8 years to earn that much.

I did get some “overtime” a few months back when a group of us developed a computerized 300+ slide interactive multimedia instruction training package for Army leaders testing a new piece of FCS equipment. We did it in a month and a half to meet a tight schedule while generating the best possible product for our warfighter customer.

By: Frank

Frank — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:32:15 +0000

Remember that article where CSC was fined by a Federal Judge as they were not paying overtime to their Members of the Technical Staff? The settlement was for those who worked in the late 90s and early 2000. But they were pulling those stunts when I worked for them in the 1980s.

Bluntly, O&M contractors are crooks. There is no savings, just money for the corporation and they screw their employees over.

Example, 4 people tried to form a union. they were fired in violation of US Labor Law. Don’t expect the Dept of Labor to help you under the GOP.

These crooks should be put out of business. Period. Computer Sciences Corporation is now the 10th largest contractor.

And so it goes. Your tax dollars at work.

By: Lightning1

Lightning1 — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:56:39 +0000

One of the basic tenants is that inherently governmental functions are not to be contracted out. Using security contractors to perform military functions violates that rule. As a citizen, I do not agree with having contractors performing military functions.

The government’s high costs for training the security operators while they were in the military, and their replacements, needs to be considered in any true cost comparison. That is a major reason for the expensive costs of maintaining the force structure.

By: richard

richard — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:36:32 +0000

as an ex contractor for the usaf working jet engines, i was in charge of up to 25 men and wasn’t paid more than an e-7. and didnt receive housing or food allowence and as stated before once contract was over you were out of a job and had to wait and see if a new contract was available

By: tipover

tipover — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:32:37 +0000

It wasn’t really mentioned but I suspect the “benefits” overhead (Education, VA, Retirement, ect) is much smaller for contractors. And that when the job is over the personnel are not part of the force structure that must be maintained.

By: Congress Check

Congress Check — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:39:34 +0000

No intelligent idea can gain general acceptance unless some stupidity is mixed in with it.FernandoPessoaFernando Pessoa, The Book of Disquiet