The Role of Contractors in Military Operations, and More from CRS

[jakeXT]

The Role of Contractors in Military Operations, and More from CRS


The Pentagon’s reliance on contractors to support military operations has now become so extensive that some argue it should be… even more extensive!

These advocates “believe that DOD should be prepared to effectively award and manage contracts at a moment’s notice, anywhere in the world, in unknown environments, and on a scale that may exceed the total contract obligations of any other federal agency,” according to a new report from the Congressional Research Service.

As of March 2013, there were approximately 108,000 DoD contractor personnel in Afghanistan, CRS reports, representing 62% of the total force.

“Contractors provide a wide range of services, from transportation, construction, and base support, to intelligence analysis and private security,” CRS notes. “The benefits of using contractors include freeing up uniformed personnel to conduct combat operations; providing expertise in specialized fields, such as linguistics or weapon systems maintenance; and providing a surge capability, quickly delivering critical support capabilities tailored to specific military needs.”

http://blogs.fas.org/secrecy/2013/05/contractors-crs/

[msongs]

1. private contractors = financial rape of the taxpayers. the military should go back to its own staff

doing all the support services. paying $200 an hour to a private contractor while our soldiers are earning far less to die to protect those contractors is a an obscenity.