Battlefield Contractors: Operational Risk and System Support Contractors

Abstract

Service support contractors are a foundational part of the modern U.S. military. Reliance on contingency contractors dates back to at least the American Revolution, but the number of support contractors has grown significantly in the past decade. In fact, contractors now outnumber active duty personnel in operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq. This paper will focus specifically on high technology system support contractors. While possessing a number of benefits, such as expertise and reduced long-term costs, the U.S. military's over reliance on high technology system support contractors creates unacceptable risks for the operational commander. The U.S. military has struggled with the risks of poor contractor oversight and the individual contractor's right to refuse to perform duties under high threat conditions. This paper will discuss these risks and propose solutions to improve contracting staff and deployed oversight, and providing a means to replace contractors who fail in harm's way.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 27, 2010
Accession Number
ADA535548

Entities

People

  • William G. Holt Ii

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Active Duty
  • Air Force
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Contractors
  • Department Of Defense
  • Employment
  • Governments
  • Law
  • Logistics
  • Maintenance
  • Management Personnel
  • Military Operations
  • Military Personnel
  • Personnel Management
  • Private Military Companies
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Government Contracting/Procurement.
  • Military Mobilization and Reserve Forces Studies.