Comments on: New Rules Coming for Contractors

By: gj

gj — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:45:29 +0000

There are several problems; 1, the cost, pay the military more and enlistment will go up. 2, we should know the exact forces we have in a war zone and what they are doing ( it took a long time for it to be known that we did not have 100,00 in Iraq but closer to 200,000 when everyone was counted.)

By: dbehr

dbehr — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:51:56 +0000

John D, As I write this, I'm getting ready for my 4th 6-month deployment to Afghanistan. I've got 3 deployments to Iraq on top of that. Financially, I make about the same as a deployed CWO-4 with 25 years in service. When I'm deployed, I work 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. I'm on-call 24/7. I live in the same quarters as the soldiers I support, I eat the same chow, carry the same load, ride the same vehicles, and get shot at with the same bullets, rockets, and mortars. I've been shot at so many times over the last few years, I don't even get excited about it any more. I could be sitting back in the States in a nice office, managing a program or something like that, and probably making more money, but I have a fairly unique skill set that's needed in the field. I'm too old to enlist, even though I have to and do keep up with guys 30 years younger than myself. I have to "put up with" the same rules as the people I support.I'm subject to the UCMJ, just like everyone else.I go way, way outside the scope of my contract to ensure that the people I work for get the level of support they need to accomplish the mission. Don't question my patriotism,or my motives. Don't refer to me as a terrorist. Just go back to your couch and continue with your game of Halo.

By: tjm308

tjm308 — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:54:18 +0000

I went from the Army and into straight into contracting. Frankly, I wanted a job (shame on me) and no one in Indiana was hiring. I volunteered for Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghanistan because (some of you will believe this) it allowed me to continue to serve after hitting my MRD. To JOHN D> I’m 61 — Army ain’t gonna hire me, but KBR will.

By: Joshua

Joshua — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 03:53:24 +0000

I dont understand why some of you dont get it, Its a job and we are taking advantage of it,you all would to if you had the experience.The Army wouldnt give me what I want and then came BW and offered this and that and I couldnt pass it up. Maybe if the government would pay our Military more like they deserve , so many wouldnt be leaving.Oh ya we do care about colateral damage dvortex, we screw up its our ass and there goes our job and no more big pay checks.And to you John D, I put up with more BS and rules now then I did as a soldier so what the fuck you talking about?

By: John D

John D — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 22:24:15 +0000

The ability to field a military that can meet the manning requirements is a pre-requisite. If you cannot do that… think before you use the military.

If these guys really want to serve so bad… the military is hiring… I can give any of you professional types the name of a good recruiter, if your desire to serve is as great as you claim…

Many of these “patriots” don’t like the rules of the military or the BS that they have to “put up with…” small prices to pay if your goal is true selfless service to our nation…

If you want to mow the grass, or wash the clothes, or run the Burger King on Victory… God Bless You… contract away… If you want to be an “operator” go see your recruiter or find a good Play Station game.

Don’t attempt to drape the flag across your adrenaline rush and call it patriotism. Combatants not in Uniform are terrorists or spies… at least that is how we characterize them at Gitmo…

As for Blackwater… their hiring of ex-commandos from Latin American dictatorships speaks for itself… are those guys American Patriots as well…

Give us all a break… keep lying to yourselves in the Blackwater break room… but don’t ask everyone else to believe your blathering…

If you are a Blackwater mercenary and don’t believe what I’m saying… then start checking… it’s not hard to find… especially for those who speak Spanish… those countries are roundly condemning Blackwater’s use of soldiers they consider unfit to serve in the military of a democracy…

By: dvortex

dvortex — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 07:02:40 +0000

Cowboys with guns that don’t care about colateral damage. That’s my view of them.

By: John E.

John E. — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 11:11:00 +0000

About the money. The hourly rates are not all that great. As an engineer I was making a little over 2/3’s for what I earn in a equal stateside job. The thing that made it lucrative was working six and an half days a week and the foreign earned income exclusion. See IRS pub 54. The first $88k is tax free. Without that contracting for the U.S. military is a hazardous low pay job.

It is common for a few low ranking military to complain about contractor pay. They also complain about officer pay, and just about everything else. The senior career military get burned out from constant deployments and never let a day go by without expressing appreciation for help recieved.

It is also common for contractors to quit; some after only two weeks. Most quit and go home. A few quit and go to work in civilian jobs in the Arab GCC countries; which is quite lucrative.

Contracting companies struggle to fill positions and there are always more openings than willing bodies. The complainers should apply for the job; if they are not afraid of a little WORK!

By: MtnCat

MtnCat — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 21:28:24 +0000

Thank goodness that there is Blackwater, I don’t believe that any other company or the military itself could provide the security needed for stability ops in a more professional manner. I would be honored to have the “cowboys” protect me. Do you have any idea of the unpaid compassionate services that Blackwater provides. Are mistakes never made in war? In a split second now, friend or foe, live or die.

By: James S.

James S. — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 20:52:48 +0000

They get paid way too much. The only reason our government is allowing such ludacris spending is because of the money they themselves are making. Contracters are important and cover many ends our military cannot, but us, the taxpayers are getting robbed…

By: william cuthbertson

william cuthbertson — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 20:23:58 +0000

if only the facts would be said, that we can’t nor will we send enough military over there, so we must fill the gap. so how do we do that. hire civilians. i went over for 24 months. yes i went for the money. but, as a convoy commander with KBR. the military must have the support, at any cost. with out it, what would everybody say, if the death numbers were 10,000
or even more. the life of ever american is worth so much more, i say military as well as american contractors lose thier lives, to support OUR country. Let find something to cry about.

william cuthbertson

By: anthony bauwens

anthony bauwens — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 19:42:58 +0000

I agree contractors are needed and there is a bad apple in everything.And if they get paid good thats good they take the risks also working in a envirement wee its dangerous make the buck.people will allways talk!we are all in this!

By: Joshua

Joshua — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 16:37:05 +0000

We are not mercenaries, look up the definition. We do a job just like everybody else does. And there have been Contracters in every war like Marshal said. We protect high profile and diplomatic personel because the State department and Military dont have enough people. We are not out there killing people and doing what ever we want. When I was in the Army over here, I had less rules then I do now when I rule out the gates.

By: Joe

Joe — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 15:15:08 +0000

It’s the payroll that bothers the bankers running our Republic. They have no problem with contractors…they do have a problem when JoeContractor or JoePlumber makes more than their aristocratic brains want to pay.

By: Julie L

Julie L — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 15:14:29 +0000

I think as a former soldier and one who’s MOS was taken over by contractors. After the restructure had to re class, the bottom line is that contractors are not helping the military, and for those who think the military is “unorganized” I would like to know who long you have been involved with the military and how much you really know about what is going on. Do you know that a contractor that is doing my same job is paid three times as much? It bothers me that people keep saying the military has serious flaws, and I wonder how long you have served. And the contractor that thinks they live in austere conditions, most have the freedom to go and do what they want when they want with much better conditions then the military.

By: Ken G.

Ken G. — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 14:55:33 +0000

I agree whole heartedly with John E. I am a contractor and have been since April 2001. I have been to Iraq two times and what I have seen is a bunch of proud Americans helping our troops serve our great country. Both times I was there, I did not even carry a weapon, nor did the 35 great personnel who were with me. Most of us dont do this for the money as the possibility of losing our lives makes the money not worth it. We do this as we are Americans who love our great country and want to help win this war so our kids and grandkids dont have to do this. There are always a few bad apples who give us all a bad name but having been there, I know that the bad stories we hear in the media are the exception and not the rule. God bless the USA.

By: John Puzzo

John Puzzo — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 13:52:11 +0000

Having served with three PMC’s in 2004–2005, I can say that they are not all alike. Neither are the pelple who work for them.

The information officer for one of those companies would sign his route reports with, “Alert, professional, serious, and courteous PSD operators send the right message to everyone. Tough guys, gunsels, cowboys, and action adventure figures with deep xenophobia issues send a message, too: the wrong one.” Well said.

An idiot with something to prove can get you killed, embarass the company he works for, and ultimately discredit the nation. That impairs the bottom line: the mission.

After about 25,000 miles over the road, I can say that the Rules of Engagment have always been clear in Iraq and everyone knows the rules: ‘You do not approach a convoy.‘Most of the time adequate warning is given where individuals forget that and everyone walks away. WHen people don’t back off it’s a pretty good sign that their intentions are hostile.

The reconstuction effort in Iraq does not move forward without contractors and reconstruction has been the mission since the end of ‘the war.’

Armed contractors are the second largest force in Iraq and ountumber the Brits about 10 to 1. Our casualty figures are testimony to that fact. The more restrictions you place on contractors the less effective they will be. The bad guys will find ways to push the envelope and more people will die, including contractors, which is what the bad guys want.

That PMC’s have their own internal problems should be no surprise. In addition to a few cowboys we have had our share of opportunists and the just plain incompetent. That doesn’t mean you paint them all with the same brush.

By: John E.

John E. — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 12:52:25 +0000

I was a contractor during the surge for 15 months. A think couple clarifications are in order. Most of the contractors are not in security roles; rather they fill gaps in ifrastructure construction and operations. It’s not the easy street lucrative job it’s made out to be. Most live in austere conditions and close to 1200 have been KIA. A few come for the money and they don’t last long; typical employee turnover is 30%. Most of the contractors are ex military and desire to serve again. I quit a good job to go there and “Support Our Troops”. The branch of military that was my family for a time, over 30 years ago, asked for help and I decided to go. No regrets and the hell with the envious wanabees.

By: Ross Kelly

Ross Kelly — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:52:12 +0000

As a retired Army SF 0–6 and VP of a company affiliated with a security services provider in Iraq, I can say that the great majority of those providing such services are professionals who simply see themselves as soldiering on for better pay in a different venue. As has been pointed out not only by the companies themselves but by the satisfied customers, they do work that the military and the State Department security people simply don’t have the people to do themselves. And very, very few are “cowboys,” and those that are don’t last long; nobody wants a “cowboy” covering their backs.

By: Jake

Jake — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 22:29:28 +0000

They’re not mercs, why can’t you people understand that?!?!

By: SILVER SERFER

SILVER SERFER — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 02:38:54 +0000

IF I GO IN I WANT BLACKWATER COVERING ME.