Control of Private Security Contractors by the Joint Force Commander

Abstract

The events of 16 September 2007, the Blackwater shooting in Nisoor Square, brought Private Security Contractors (PSC) and their use under an intense focus. The problems highlighted for the Joint Force Commander (JFC) were his lack of necessary tools to exercise oversight and control of operational contractors and an inability to hold them accountable. Steps have been taken since the incident to improve the JFC's arsenal within this area. The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of the tools the JFC can utilize to ensure control is maintained of civilians accompanying military forces during a declared war or contingency operation. Additionally, it will examine the benefits of aligning PSC usage in the joint operating area (JOA) under the Department of Defense (DoD) to both establish a solid legal jurisdiction and remove the friction from operations under multiple departments.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 23, 2008
Accession Number
ADA484305

Entities

People

  • Charles W. Brown

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • C4I
  • Human Systems
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Army Personnel
  • Congress
  • Contractors
  • Department Of Defense
  • Employment
  • Governments
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • International Law
  • Law
  • Management Personnel
  • Military Operations
  • Personnel Management
  • Private Military Companies
  • Security
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Environmental Engineering.
  • Government Contracting/Procurement.
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.