Industry News : Crimes - Investigations
New York Times Reports 30 False Fronts Won Contracts for Blackwater
Blackwater Worldwide created a web of more than 30 shell companies or subsidiaries in part to obtain millions of dollars in American government contracts after the security company came under intense criticism for reckless conduct in Iraq, according to Congressional investigators and former Blackwater officials.
Sunday, September 5, 2010

Industry News : Lawsuits
Judge Denies ArmorGroup and Wackenhut Motions to Dismiss Lawsuit
Judge James Cacheris has denied Defendants ArmorGroup North America ("AGNA"), ArmorGroup International, Wackenhut Services, Inc., and Cornelius Medley's motions to dismiss whistleblower James Gordon's lawsuit brought under the False Claims Act, about illegalities committed by ArmorGroup in the performance of AGNA's contracts with the United States to provide security services at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan and at the U.S. Naval base in Bahrain.
Sunday, August 29, 2010

Industry News : Jobs Outlook
Air base expansion plans reflect long-term investment in Afghanistan
Three $100 million air base expansions in southern and northern Afghanistan illustrate Pentagon plans to continue building multimillion-dollar facilities in that country to support increased U.S. military operations well into the future.
Friday, August 27, 2010

Industry News : Jobs Outlook
US Backs Afghan Plan to Dump Contractors
The U.S. military supports the Afghan government's plan to dissolve private security companies and is tightening oversight of its own armed contractors in the interim, an official said Monday.
Monday, August 16, 2010

Industry News : Lawsuits
Iraqis' Torture Case Against Contractor Proceeds in U.S. Court
A group of 72 Iraqi citizens who allege they were tortured while imprisoned at detention facilities across Iraq can continue with their lawsuit against military contractor L-3 Services, Inc. and a former employee, a federal judge in Maryland ruled Thursday.
Friday, July 30, 2010

Industry News : Regs, Laws, Oversight
US military investigates contractor work force
The U.S. military said Wednesday it is clamping down on contracting firms on American military bases using employees whose home countries ban travel to Iraq, raising questions about why the contractors were allowed to work in the country for so long despite the ban.
Friday, July 30, 2010

Industry News : Regs, Laws, Oversight
Oversight of war zone subcontractors is lacking, panel finds
Prime contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan are not managing their subcontractors' performance and fees consistently, the Defense Department's top auditing official told the Commission on Wartime Contracting on Monday.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Industry News : About the Industry
Key Facts about Contractors: Director of National Intelligence
In response to a story in the Washington Post about the number of contractors in the intelligence community, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has provided this fact sheet.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Industry News : Jobs Outlook
U.S. Contractor Use in Iraq Expected To Rise
As the U.S. military pulls troops and equipment out of Iraq, the State Department will have to rely increasingly on contractors to perform such services as flying rescue helicopters and disarming roadside bombs, a congressional commission warned.
Saturday, July 17, 2010

Industry News : Casualties
U.S. Contractor Deaths Soaring in Afghanistan
New statistics on U.S. contractor deaths in Afghanistan were released earlier this week. They show that U.S. contractors deaths are soaring, from 189 last June 30th since the war began in 2001, to 521 this June 30th – an increase of 175% in just one year.
Friday, July 16, 2010

Industry News : Jobs Outlook
Notes on Private Security Contractors in Iraq from Commission on Wartime Contracting hearings
Includes comments from Monday's hearing "Private Security Contractors in Iraq: Where Are We Going?" at the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Information is from the Commission Co-Chairs, and Charlene Lamb of the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Industry News : Casualties
Two Dyncorp Contractors Killed in Attack on Afghanistan Police Training Facility
An American police mentor and a Nepalese security guard working under DynCorp International’s Afghan police training contract were tragically killed on June 7, 2010, when insurgents attacked a police training facility in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Five others were injured in the attack.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Industry News : About the Industry
Updated Contractor Numbers Released
This update reports DoD contractor personnel numbers in theater and outlines DoD efforts to improve management of contractors accompanying U.S. forces. It covers DoD contractor personnel deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) area of responsibility (AOR).
Friday, May 28, 2010

Industry News : Regs, Laws, Oversight
Counternarcotics contractors in Latin American lack accountability, senator says
A key lawmaker questioned Thursday whether the U.S. government is adequately overseeing the roughly $1 billion it pays contractors to help governments in Latin America combat production and trafficking of illegal drugs.
Saturday, May 22, 2010

Industry News : Casualties
U.S. contractor killed, 9 soldiers wounded in Taliban attack on Bagram air base
The attack before dawn, with gunfire, rockets and grenades, killed one U.S. contractor and wounded nine American soldiers. The U.S. soldiers at the base responded by killing 10 insurgents, including four wearing suicide vests.
Thursday, May 20, 2010

Industry News : Jobs Outlook
Contractor information in recent SIGIR report to Congress
On April 30, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction presented its Quarterly Report to the United States Congress. I have extracted useful information about contractors contained in the report.
Saturday, May 1, 2010

Industry News : Jobs Outlook
US Afghan commander: 'We have too many contractors'
The US commander in Afghanistan said Friday that the military is wasting money by employing too many private contractors to do jobs better done by soldiers or local Afghans.
Saturday, April 17, 2010

Industry News : Crimes - Investigations
Five Blackwater Employees Indicted
U.S. Attorney George E.B. Holding announced that today a federal grand jury returned a 15-count indictment charging four employees from Blackwater World-Wide. Included in the indictment are Gary Jackson, 52, former President; William Wheeler Mathews, Jr., 44, an attorney and former Executive Vice President and Vice President of Operations; Andrew Howell, 44, General Counsel; Ana Bundy, 45, former Vice President of Logistics and Procurement; and Ronald Slezak, 65, a former armorer.
Friday, April 16, 2010

Industry News : Casualties
Contractor Deaths Accelerating in Afghanistan as They Outnumber Soldiers
A recent Congressional Research Service analysis [1] obtained by ProPublica looked at the number of civilian contractors killed in Afghanistan in recent months. It's not pretty.
Friday, April 16, 2010

Industry News : About the Industry
Afghan Police in Sore Need of Trainers
Few things are more essential to the success of America’s efforts in Afghanistan than the creation of a national police force. And nothing is more essential to the creation of that force as finding experienced people to train the recruits. But a top training commander at NATO said Thursday that a deep shortage of police trainers troubles the mission.
Saturday, April 10, 2010