Stare Kiejkuty – A Possible CIA Rendition Site in PolandStare Kiejkuty – A Possible CIA Rendition Site in Poland | |
Role of Military Contractors in the Iraq War (Part 2)Role of Military Contractors in the Iraq War
Not long after the U.S. led an invasion into Iraq, huge companies were on their tails hungry to get a piece of the Iraq pie. These large companies with their huge government contracts then were left with the task of staffing a civilian force ready to go stand on the front lines in the most hostile land on earth. Over 50,000 civilian contractors have worked in Iraq doing jobs from operating a movie projector, to driving a fuel truck through the streets of Baghdad. Some did it for money; some did it for adventure, but no matter what reason they had for going, they all had one goal once they got there; to take care of the soldiers that counted on them to bring basic services, such as food, water, and base life support. Many came, did their job, and made it back home safely. Others paid the ultimate price for their efforts, and died on the front line of combat.
All of these contractors faced very real threats, the same as the soldiers. Every base in Iraq was prone to constant mortar and rocket propelled grenade attacks. Truck drivers had the unenviable task of driving through the streets of Iraq, where Insurgents would place Improvised explosion devices along the road waiting specifically for these civilian convoys to come rolling through. Civilian contractors are prohibited from carrying weapons in theater, which makes them extremely enticing targets for anyone looking to disrupt the theater operations.
Most civilian casualties were suffered by the Theater Transportation Mission division. They were responsible for running all cargo that was shipped into Iraq to all parts of the country. Some routes were short just running from one large base to the smaller outlying bases, while other routes forced drivers to drive the full length of the country from Kuwait to the Northern provinces. Some loads were flatbeds full of supplies, or food, while other drivers were forced to drive ticking time bombs, carrying fuel trucks full of jet fuel. These drivers were often victims of horrifying situations, due to being easy targets by insurgents. One rocket propelled grenade through the tank of the trucks could cause a devastating and in most cases deadly explosion. At
Camp Anaconda which is the main hub for the Theater Transportation Mission you can see the destruction and the real threats these drivers had to face. There is a graveyard of destroyed over the road trucks and trailers. At least 100 vehicles are laid to rest here, and by seeing it makes you realize the true danger these drivers face.
On April 8, 2004 the worst attack on a civilian convoy took place just north of Baghdad which took the lives of 8 brave drivers. It was an orchestrated ambush set up on the entrance to a bridge. Rocket propelled grenades first hit the lead and tail trucks, and then opened fire on everything else in between. One driver survived the attack but was taken prisoner by the insurgents. He defied certain death by escaping from his prison, and was ironically saved by his fellow employees who were driving through on a convoy not far from where his captors held him prisoner.
Every camp in Iraq has a memorial for those contractors who have paid the ultimate price for their service. Unfortunately these memorials grow larger, as the months pass, and the bravery of these contractors is often overlooked. They face very real threats, and put their lives on the line everyday to do the job that they were sent to do. No matter the initial reason for coming to work in Iraq, the civilian contractors face many of the same dangers as the soldiers face in the war zone. Many have come to work, many went back home to their families, and many died in the fields of Iraq. | |
Role of Military Contractors in the Iraq War (Part 1)Role of Military Contractors in the Iraq War
Operation Iraqi freedom has endured much skepticism since it began in March 2003. It took only three weeks to bring down the government and secure the oil fields, but no could have anticipated the journey ahead for the soldiers that fought to free the Iraqi people, and the contractors sent in to support them. The L.O.G.C.A.P (Logistics Civil Augmentation Program), which was established by the U.S. Army in 1985, was designed to task civilian contractors with all of the primary needs of the military during war. Food, maintenance, and base support, are just some of the roles that they play. Companies such as KBR, Bechtel, and LSI, are key players in this process.
Basic needs such as food and water are contracted out to civilian workers. In Iraq, all dining facilities are staffed and operated entirely by civilian contractors. These dining facilities are responsible for supplying four meals per day to the soldiers and other contractors in Iraq. All meals are planned weeks in advance, and the contractors are responsible for ordering all supplies and preparing food for the 120,000+ troops stationed on the various bases.
Water is the biggest concern in Iraq. The country is a vast desert wasteland, and water is scarce if you are not along the Tigris or Euphrates River. All water needed to sustain life on the bases in Iraq is pulled from these two rivers. Civilian contractors are responsible for purifying this sludge into potable, and drinking water. It is a huge operation to support the troops with potable water, and elaborate mobile storage bladders are set up on every base in order to store the cleaned water.
Other basic needs are handled by contractors as well. Base maintenance, such as power generation, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, H.V.A.C., are all civilian contractors. All bases in Iraq require these maintenance personnel, to keep the latrines working, and the lights burning. Power generation is a main priority on most camps and generators are used to power nearly everything. Carpenters are on hand to fix any buildings that require maintenance, and the HVAC mechanics supply maintenance all of the air conditioning units which on some bases can be as many as 10,000 units. Other trades such as general labor are there to handle special needs such as painting, and road cleanup. It is surprisingly clean and organized on most of the larger bases in Iraq.
The civilian contractors are also in Iraq playing some unexpected roles. The PX, which is basically a glorified convenient store, or an under stocked Wal-mart is located on every base in Iraq, and is run completely by civilian workers. Civilian contractors are also responsible for staffing the various gyms, and movie theaters located on these bases. Laundry is also a huge responsibility and is handled as well by the civilian contractors.
Some people may ask why civilians are needed to go to a war zone to do these menial tasks. They may think that all of these jobs could be performed just as easily by the military personnel as they could by the civilian contractors. The simple fact is, there are far too many duties to perform in order to sustain a military campaign. With the civilian contractors there, the soldiers can concentrate on getting the job done that they are there to do. The contractors can do what they are there to do, and that is to take care of the soldiers who are fighting on the front line, fighting for the freedom of their country. | |
