Eisenhower's Warning Realized: The Issues with the U.S. Reliance on Contractors in the Battlespace
Abstract
The United States has relied upon contractors in every battle. Yet the reliance has risen steadily since the 1990s. The numbers have risen from a 1 to 65 troop to contractor ratio in Desert Storm to 1 to 1 in Iraqi and Afghanistan operations. Reasons vary for the use. The end of the Cold War is often sited as the main driver. Other drivers include the increased use of outsourcing. In doing so, the long term responsibilities-- retirement, healthcare, etc are carried by the contractor and not the USG. But are these just outsourced services or mercenaries? Mercenary definitions are given by several standing government entities such as the United Nations. Examination of those definitions against the current contractors renders a large gray area. In order to resolve this one must dig deeply into several areas including the United States Labor Bureau descriptors. This is vital to establish proper oversight in the legal realm. Legal aspects are currently being discussed in great detail. Much of it centers on the media coverage of Blackwater's presence in Iraq. Many laws exist now to prosecute those issues that have arisen, as well as those associated with Abu Ghraib. But none have been used against contractors as of this writing. Additionally, to maintain order, oversight of contractors is needed. As the United States turned to contractors to replace troops, acquisitions personnel were reduced dramatically.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 04, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA487136
Entities
People
- Gary D. Smith
Organizations
- National Defense University