Civilian Contractors on the Battlefield: A Partnership With Commercial Industry or Recipe for Failure?
Abstract
The U. S. Military is becoming increasingly dependent upon civilian commercial contractors to provide logistical support on the battlefield. Despite the current military philosophy on outsourcing, the increasing dependence of our war fighters on this support, the emphasis on partnership with the commercial industry, the Army and Joint Vision statements which stress "Focused Logistics" and "On Time Delivery", and the demands for multinational and host nation logistics support, these concepts and the use of civilians on the Battlefield remain highly volatile issues. Little definitive policy guidance and training are provided. Commanders' and war fighters attitudes and training remain entrenched in the " Iron Mountain" paradigm. Contractor loyalty to the "almighty dollar" as opposed to support for/of the front-line soldier remains serious questions which will be difficult to test in a non-warfare environment. Budgetary constraints as well as technological advances will continue to drive policy in this direction and put pressure on the Logistics community to provide the necessary support. However, can we depend on paid contractors to meet the demands and face the stresses that our current military and non-contractor logisticians face? Failure in this area is not an option. Our American fighting forces require, deserve, and must have the best support to defeat any prospective enemy on any battlefield. This analysis will endeavor to address these issues and proposed solutions for ensuring the support necessary to help our soldiers maintain, survive, and win on the modern battlefield.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 09, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA404511
Entities
People
- Robert M. Friedman
Organizations
- United States Army War College