for a short synopsis (I know, I know...) but you are very careful with "spin" and I know you'd give it perfectly unbiased summary.

If you can that would be awesome for the rest of us "terminology and time" challenged.

by Cho on Fri Jun 23, 2006 at 09:47:05 AM EST
[ Parent ]

That's a great find Jen. I'm about half way thru so far. (86 pps)

by susie dow on Fri Jun 23, 2006 at 04:59:49 PM EST
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Thank you intranets.

I keep thinking of those bogus diet plans, "Eat all you want and still LOSE weight!!"

I think Americans have lost the ability to think clearly and rationally. Reverse mortgages. New car deals with cash back. Low interest credit cards with transfer deals.

If it looks too good to be true...guess what.

by susie dow on Fri Jun 23, 2006 at 08:44:51 AM EST
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Follow susie's pbs link for more, but the private security forces (as opposed to logistics/support), draw heavily from Special Ops.  The most expensive to train, they simple go from one uniform to another, at a substantial increase in pay.

by rba on Fri Jun 23, 2006 at 08:24:54 AM EST
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Kenneth Adelman and Paul Wolfowitz are quite closely associated with the Shakespeare Theater in Washington DC. Adelman has taught about Shakespeare and Elizabethan England in the Smithsonian Institution's Resident Associate program. That is just to say he is involved in this, not to attack the Smithsonian for his involvement. I think his wife, Janet Adelman was a keynote speaker at this year's Shakespeare Assocaition of America conference in a panel on Shakespeare and Elizabthan military policy. Kenneth is a close friend of V-P Cheney.
Elizabeth did not like spending money on military ventures. She preferred to have these things under-written by private investors, such as herself, who would lend money, to be repaid out of the proceeds. Drake's Golden Hinde circumnavigation is a good example.

The classic case is Irish policy, which alternated between offical military, manipulation of feuds among Gaelic clans, and private enterprise. The private enterprize efforts at "planting" settlements in Ulster in the 1570's may well be the fore-runner forthe policy later adopted in Virginia against the Indians, and was driven by this wierd Protestant destiny idea, this land is our land type thing, you all had better go somewhere else.

by Chris White on Fri Jun 23, 2006 at 10:53:43 PM EST
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Here is the terminology used to describe the data from the Brookings Institute.

NUMBER OF US CONTRACTORS AND FEDERAL CIVILIANS IN THE US CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY

Data from the Department of Defense as found in Logistics Support for Deployed Military Forces, The Congress of the United States, Congressional
Budget Office, October 2005, page 46.

Area of Responsibility (AOR) = The geographical area associated with a combatant command within which a combatant commander has authority to plan and conduct operations.

logistics

The science of planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance of forces. In its most comprehensive sense, those aspects of military operations which deal with: a. design and development, acquisition, storage, movement, distribution, maintenance, evacuation, and disposition of materiel; b. movement, evacuation, and hospitalization of personnel; c. acquisition or construction, maintenance, operation, and disposition of facilities; and d. acquisition or furnishing of services.

Halliburton's subsidiary KBR administers LOGCAP III for the US Army:

Some of the more critical functions include laundry and bath, facilities and billeting, clothing exchange and repair, waste and sanitation, food service, mortuary affairs, supply support, maintenance, transportation and distribution, and power generation and distribution to list but a few.

These are the types of contractors listed in the Brookings Institute Report.

by susie dow on Fri Jun 23, 2006 at 08:58:23 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Cho,

It might be easier to understand the different roles of the different kinds of contractors if you separate them in to three basic groups.

1. Support (food, shelter, laundry, etc for US troops - Halliburton's KBR LOGCAP III contract)

2. Reconstruction. (rebuilding infrastructure projects in Iraq - Bechtel, Fluor, etc)

3. Defense Contractors (weapons - Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, etc)

While there is some overlap, (for instance, the wepaons manufacturers sometimes send specialists to maintain equipment in the field who accompany the troops) the Brookings Report is addressing the contractors in #1.

by susie dow on Fri Jun 23, 2006 at 11:36:26 AM EST
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in a small commentary.

by rba on Fri Jun 23, 2006 at 12:03:17 PM EST
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The US needs to have an honest discussion about privatization. Simply saving money is not always the best recourse for the nation.

My understanding is that A-76 Findings, once deciding something must be provided by the private sector, can not be reversed. Hopefully someone here has had experience with A-76 and can go into more detail.

by susie dow on Fri Jun 23, 2006 at 09:19:12 AM EST
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