This article just came out in The New York Times and was published in Europe yesterday. I have to say…Jim Risen is my new favorite reporter.
Pentagon Finds Company Violated Its Contract on Electrical Work in Iraq
By James Risen
Published: October 24, 2008
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has rebuked its largest contractor in Iraq after a series of inspections uncovered shoddy electrical work and other problems on American military bases there, according to several Defense Department officials.
The Defense Contract Management Agency, the Pentagon agency in charge of supervising contractors in Iraq, determined in August that KBR, the Houston-based company that provides virtually all basic services for the American military in both Iraq and Afghanistan, has been guilty of “serious contractual noncompliance” in Iraq, the officials said.
The Pentagon’s finding could lead to cuts or delays in payments to KBR, and ultimately to a decision by the Army to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses and fees due the company, officials said, but they added that no decisions on financial penalties had been made.
Defense officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss internal deliberations, declined to elaborate on the reasons for the new findings, except to say that they related to electrical problems and other issues.
KBR, formerly a subsidiary of Halliburton, has had a virtual monopoly on military services contracts in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, garnering more than $24 billion from its business in the war zone.
Questions about the quality of KBR’s electrical work on American bases in Iraq have plagued the company throughout 2008, leading to investigations and hearings by Congress as well as an inquiry by the Pentagon’s inspector general.
Internal Pentagon documents obtained by The New York Times suggest that the electrical problems may be more widespread than had been believed. A chart compiled by Army officials and not previously made public shows that more American personnel have been electrocuted in Iraq than the Bush administration has acknowledged.
At least 18 people have died from electrocution since the March 2003 invasion, including 10 from the Army, 5 from the Marine Corps, 1 from the Navy and 2 military contractors. The most recent electrocution occurred on Feb. 24. A chart listing each electrocution provides details but does not identify the victims by name.
This is the second time that the Pentagon has raised its figures on electrocutions in Iraq. Last spring, the Defense Department said that 12 American personnel members had been electrocuted in the country, and then later told Congress that the accurate figure was 13.
KBR is scrambling to respond with a plan to correct the problems cited by the Defense contracting experts, Pentagon officials said. Pentagon officials held a private meeting with KBR officials in Washington last week to review the company’s response, several of the officials said.
Heather Browne, a spokeswoman for KBR, declined to comment on the Pentagon’s finding.
In the past, some Army contracting experts have complained that their superiors in the Pentagon have been reluctant to confront KBR over its fees and the quality of its work. For example, the Army’s top official in charge of the KBR contract at the beginning of the war has said that he was removed from his job in 2004 after challenging KBR’s billing records for its work in Iraq.
The issue of shoddy electrical work on American military bases in Iraq first emerged in the wake of the death in January of Staff Sgt. Ryan D. Maseth, a Green Beret from Pennsylvania who was electrocuted while taking a shower in his barracks in Baghdad.
Sergeant Maseth’s family went public with their questions about the circumstances surrounding his death and filed a wrongful death lawsuit against KBR, accusing the company of failing to adequately maintain the building’s electrical system.
The Maseth case led to investigations of electrical work on American bases by Congress and the Pentagon’s inspector general, and ultimately prompted an order for comprehensive safety inspections of the electrical work at all American military facilities in Iraq.
Officials said that the Army recently reopened its investigation into Sergeant Maseth’s death, after obtaining new testimony and evidence in the case, including the discovery that another soldier had suffered electrical shocks while assigned to the same room as Sergeant Maseth.
KBR has “fully cooperated with Army C.I.D. on this matter, and we will continue to do so,” Ms. Browne, the spokeswoman, said, referring to the Army’s Criminal Investigation Command. “KBR maintains that its activities in Iraq were not responsible for Staff Sergeant Maseth’s death.” (End of Article)
Amazing!!! So my question is this….if KBR is doing such a crappy job …. a job that falls in the “serious, contractual noncompliance” category, crappy enough to warrant a Level III Corrective Action Request (CAR) why would the DoD award KBR new contracts? This just came out in the news within the last couple of days. See my post KBR Must Have Nasty Photos Of Someone in DoD!
Jim Risen….YOU ROCK! Another awesome, accurate report!! Thanks for the help.
Ms Sparky
I want to know why the Army’s Criminal Investigation Command (CID) reopened the investigation into Ryan Maseth’s death. I want to know why the CID is STILL investigating Ryan Maseth’s death as criminal. Why are they STILL interviewing electricians and others from Radwaniyah Palace Compound (RPC). Is the CID trying to pin this death on a single person? Is this an effort to protect KBR? Or is this an effort to charge KBR with a crime?
My guess is, this is an effort to pin this death on an electrician that was doing what they were told to do or be fired if they didn’t.
The Army should be able to see by now this management issue and electrical problems were systemic throughout Iraq.
I guess we will have to wait and see.
Was it an IBEW person who killed the dude?
IBEW CODE OF EXCELLENCE
The Code of Excellence is a program designed to bring out the best in our construction members and demonstrate to our customers
that IBEW members:
Exercise safe and productive work practices
Perform the highest quality and quantity of work
Utilize their skills and abilities to the maximum
The Code of Excellence training is to convey a strong message that IBEW construction members will:
Arrive to work on time, ready and willing to work.
Follow appropriate employer and customer work rules.
Promote an alcohol and drug free workplace.
Work in a safe and healthy manner.
Give 8 hours work for 8 hours pay and ensure supervision has been notified when we need to leave the jobsite.
Respect management directives that are safe, reasonable and legitimate.
Respect the customer’s rights and property.
Respect the rights of our coworkers.
Utilize the skills and abilities we have learned to gain a competitive advantage.
Take care of the employer’s tools and equipment as if they were our own.
Refuse to condone any act of property destruction, including graffiti.
Start work on time, work until the appropriate quitting time and limit break periods to the time allowed.
Use the proper tool for the job while maintaining personal responsibility for our tools.
Only sell merchandise or collect funds as authorized by the Business Manager of the Local Union.
Perform personal business, including cell phone use, during authorized break periods only.
Never participate in job slowdowns, disruptions or activities designed to extend the job or create overtime.
Always strive to conduct ourselves in a way that promotes a positive image of the IBEW.
NECA DECLARATION OF GUIDING PRINCIPLES
FOR PARTNERSHIP AND CODE OF EXCELLENCE
WITH IBEW
Members of NECA declare and proclaim the activities of partnering and Code of
Excellence with IBEW are intended to result in well paying jobs to satisfy the
economic needs of families including food, housing, health care, education,
recreation and economic security in retirement. The purpose of partnering
is also to fulfill emotional and physical needs through skilled productive
work, respect, dignity and inclusion on challenging yet safe projects.
Partnering will also allow labor and management to share new
experiences with proper recognition and appreciation to all
who participate.
As with Stewards, IBEW members employed in management/supervision must have knowledge of the Code of Excellence program
principles, its relationship to IBEW organizing and overall membership responsibilities to the Brotherhood. Yet, more importantly,
members in these roles need to know how effectively managing their jobs will be a corresponding obligation to the Code of
Excellence program. IBEW rank and file members honoring the Code of Excellence program will rightfully have similar
expectations of Brothers and Sisters in management/supervision, with these being in the areas of:
Management responsibilities to the collective bargaining agreement.
Total acceptance of supervisory positions and related responsibilities.
Communication and cooperation with the job Steward.
Employee encouragement but, if necessary, fair and consistent discipline.
Job safety, health and sanitation needs or requirements.
Ample job layout/directions to minimize down time and maximize employee productivity.
Availability and timely delivery of necessary materials.
Proper number and type of tools and equipment to ensure job progress.
Maintenance and upkeep of tools and equipment.
Storage and protection of employer and employee tools and equipment.
Employ adequate number of employees to perform efficiently or, conversely,
limit number of employees to the work at hand
Ms Sparky’s Response:
IMO-It was a company culture, a series of bad management decisions and lack of oversight from DCMA that killed this “dude” whos name is Green Beret SSG Ryan Maseth. Thanks for the comment and thanks for posting the IBEW Code of Excellence.
I knew it wouldn’t take long for the Houston Chronicle to delete this story. It published Saturday evening, ran Sunday and when I got up this morning to read the comments…”NO SUCH ARTICLE!
They also seem to have deleted the “Iraq contractor gets 3 years in child porn case” story.
So…is the Houston Chronicle a news organization or not. Or is it another Halliburton KBR subsidiary!
I guess I will have to put this one Craigs list as well.
you need to take a closer look at capt graff.
Ms Sparky’s Response:
Of the DCMA?? I would really love to chat. Please email me at mssparky@mssparky.com