» 2009 » March

How two vets took on KBR

March 30, 2009 — Ms Sparky

Iraq Veterans Against the War member Bryan Hannah tells the story of how he and another vet made some county commissioners in Texas think twice before inking a road-building contract with a trio of fast-talking KBR executives.

How two vets took on KBR

March 30, 2009

TWO MEN and a woman in a suit with shiny brass buttons walked into the Hays County Courthouse in central Texas on March 24. They were there to sign a contract between Hays County and KBR, a former subsidiary of Halliburton and one of the corporations that has been a major war profiteer in Iraq.

The three executives sat patiently through the daily business of veterans’ affairs, needs of the local police department, burn bans and drawing lines for a subdivision until it was their turn to discuss the $617,000 county contract that would make KBR a road builder in our community.

What they didn’t count on were two unsatisfied customers and members of Iraq Veterans Against the War–Gregory Foster and myself.

Greg and I brought to the attention of the county commissioners the company’s history of scandals, including bribery, the negligent homicide of 11 soldiers and five Marines, rape and gang rape cover-ups, tax evasion and more.

Greg read the top results for a Google search that contained a multitude of shady business dealings and crimes to demonstrate that the commissioners had not done adequate research. He then read a letter from Spec. Jude Prather, a Hays County resident and infantryman in Iraq.

Jude’s letter outlined his concerns about KBR being a daily fixture in his community, stating that his convoy escort team’s opinions of KBR were “too colorful to be read in court.” Greg recalled a saying of his father: “Son, your dollar votes. If you don’t like how a company does business, don’t do business with them.”

I brought to the commissioners’ attention the siphoning by KBR of tens of billions of dollars out of our treasury in exchange for the delivery of substandard service and even unacceptable “disservices” to U.S. troops in Iraq.

Some soldiers suffered illnesses from contaminated drinking water, others were exposed to carcinogens such as sodium dichromate, and some died as a result of faulty electrical wiring and air-conditioning units placed so close to showers that water splashed on them.

“Hays County has a laudable record of supporting its service members and veterans,” I said. “I do not think we could in good conscience accept that reputation and hire a company responsible for killing U.S. soldiers and Marines, then attempting to cover it up and deny compensation to the families.”

I also attested to how KBR fattened its bottom line by shipping empty trucks around Iraq–while putting soldiers and civilians lives on the line to escort them.

A KBR executive stepped up and boldly (as well as untruthfully) said that all of these allegations were totally untrue and that KBR was not for or against the war. But the judge presiding over the hearing interrupted her to ask if it was true that a KBR employee had been convicted of bribery, and she was compelled to say that a KBR executive is indeed in federal prison for bribing Nigerian officials for $60 million in contracts.

She then tried to discredit me, Greg and our supporters by noting our antiwar attire, but she was forced to show respect for our service in the military and acknowledge our direct experiences with KBR.

In the same breath that she denied KBR profiting from the Iraq war, she also said that KBR wasn’t the only corporation to profit from the war effort. She added that the employees who committed the crimes were just “a few bad apples.”

I had no choice but to apologize. “I didn’t mean to pick on your poor, innocent, multibillion-dollar corporation,” I said, adding that if any of the other war profiteers tried to do business in Hays County, I would speak against them as well.

Her claim that actions of KBR employees don’t reflect company policy in any way was simply absurd.

After our testimony, the commissioners and the judge moved to postpone a final decision until March 31 in order to conduct more research, and there was a lot of talk about why other companies hadn’t been considered. Of the four commissioners and one judge responsible for the decision on the contract, only one made a comment in defense of KBR. “The Brown family seems very nice,” said the official.

It seems likely that we succeeded in blocking KBR from getting this contract. Let this serve as a lesson that people have power, and we should not make the mistake of dis-empowering ourselves by believing we are powerless. Get out and be heard! (Click HERE to read original article)

Hopefully this is just the first of a long line of potential clients that will voice their opinions against KBR’s fraud, waste, abuse, homicide and exposing our troops to chemical exposures, electrical shock and contaminated water and food, just to name a few. Tomorrow will tell. Hays Country Texas Commissioners are supposed to make their decision known at Commissioners Court March 31, 2009.

Ms Sparky

Cheryl Harris Concerned For Soldiers Still At Risk

March 27, 2009 — Ms Sparky

For those people out there who think Cheryl Harris. SSG Ryan Maseth’s mother, filed suit against KBR because they have “deep pocket” think again. Cheryl’s primary concern has always been the safety of our troops. I have taken the liberty to highlight those statements below.

Military inspecting tens of thousands of Iraq facilities to prevent shock, electrocution

By Robin Acton
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, March 27, 2009

Every day, Cheryl Harris gets chills up her spine, worrying that it will happen again.

Some mother, or wife, will get a call with word that another soldier has been electrocuted in Iraq or Afghanistan, she predicted.

“We’re playing Russian roulette with their lives every time they step into a shower,” said Harris, whose son, Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, was electrocuted in Iraq on Jan. 2, 2008.

The military, under orders from Gen. David H. Petraeus, is inspecting more than 90,000 U.S. facilities in Iraq to reduce the risks of shocks or electrocution to troops showering or using appliances. With 25,000 inspections completed, 65,000 others could take until the end of the year, according to an internal military document obtained by The Associated Press.

Task Force SAFE, a group that oversees inspections and repairs, indicated that about one-third of the completed inspections revealed major electrical problems, according to the document and interviews.

Maseth, 24, of Shaler is among 18 people electrocuted in Iraq since 2003. The Green Beret died when a rooftop pump on his living quarters in the Radwaniayah Palace Complex charged the water flowing into his shower.

His parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against KBR Inc., accusing the Houston-based defense contractor of shoddy electrical work. KBR oversees maintenance at most U.S. facilities in Iraq.

Company officials maintain that KBR was not responsible for Maseth’s death, which has been reclassified by Army investigators as negligent homicide caused by the company and two of its supervisors. The case is under military review.

“It does not surprise me that 65,000 facilities still need to be inspected. It’s been 15 months and the CID (Army Criminal Investigative Division) has not closed its investigation,” Harris said. “All I want is accountability, so these guys have a safe place to shower.”

Pentagon officials were told this week that half of the problems found during inspections have been fixed.

“It’s disturbing. The Pentagon should figure out a way to get these inspections accelerated,” said Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton. He added that the slow pace offers little assurance for families of troops who already are endangered on the battlefield.

Jim Childs, an electrician hired by the task force, told the AP that “a ton of buildings” are unsafe. “I cringe every time I hear of a shock,” he said.

Records show shocks are frequent.

The Defense Department revealed that 94 troops in Iraq, Afghanistan or other Central Command countries sought medical treatment for electric shock last year, the AP reported. A KBR database listed 231 electrical shocks from September 2006 through July 2008 in buildings it maintains in Iraq.

Inspectors said of the 20,340 facilities maintained by KBR and inspected so far, 6,935 failed, the military document showed. The Defense Contract Management Agency accepted KBR’s plans to fix the problems and will monitor the contractor’s work.

Harris said her son placed 13 work orders requesting electrical repairs in his living quarters. Other soldiers contacted her with similar tales, she said.

In an e-mail obtained by the Tribune-Review, a Texas soldier described being shocked in an Afghanistan shower during his deployment from March 2006 to June 2007.

“The current we felt was similar to grabbing an electric fence that you would use to keep cattle in a field. If we grabbed the metal on the handle to turn on/off the water, it would shock us,” the soldier wrote. “We used our flip flops and a towel to keep us from getting too bad of a shock and try to get the water turned off the best we could.”

Those stories frighten Harris.

“We know that the problem reaches farther. Task Force SAFE is not in Afghanistan,” she said. “What’s going to happen to them?”

Robin Acton can be reached at racton@tribweb.com or 724-830-6295. (Click HERE to read original article)

A Thank You To Jim Childs

March 27, 2009 — Ms Sparky

Jim Childs from Task Force Safe in Iraq, recently did an interview with CNN and the AP ? Do you know what is really great about those interviews? Jim Childs is NOT a KBR employee. He can not be labeled by KBR ,or anyone for that matter, as “a disgruntled former employee with an axe to grind”. His statements validate everything every KBR electrician past and present has reported. Maybe now the Pentagon and the Office of the Secretary of Defense will listen to what the KBR electricians have been reporting. KBR has some great electricians on the ground. The problem is KBR management from Bill UTT on down to at least the Deputy Project Manager (DPM) level. They are too busy covering their past tracks to take a step forward and do it right to save a life. One of the big problems is that KBR has too damn many attorney’s in Iraq.

Yes, some positive changes have been made with regard to KBR. But keep in mind, KBR was forced to make the changes, and they were kicking and screaming all the way. And although I don’t get to see KBR’s checks from the DoD, I will guess they are being duly compensated for redoing the work they have already been paid to do correctly.

Jim Childs, I am going to speak for every KBR electrician who bitched and moaned and complained about being forced to do it wrong or be sent home. For every electrician who worked without the proper tools and material. For every electrician who didn’t even work for an electrician. Maybe they worked for a driver or a plumber or a labor foreman or a who knows what! For every electrician who was forced to work with too many unskilled third country nationals. At times I supervised 10 Third Country Nationals doing electrical work. How could I watch the work of every person? For every electrician who was beat down everyday and finally just gave up or went home.

THANK YOU for having the guts to come forward and tell the truth. For some reason, the truth coming from KBR electricians didn’t mean much to the DoD. But I guarantee that coming from you, it’s going to make a difference!!

Ms Sparky

Shoddy wiring ‘everywhere’ on Iraq bases, Army inspector says (CNN)

March 26, 2009 — Ms Sparky

Shoddy wiring ‘everywhere’ on Iraq bases, Army inspector says

From Abbie Boudreau and Scott Bronstein
CNN Special Investigations Unit
March 26, 2009 (Revised March 27, 2009)

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Thousands of buildings at U.S. bases in Iraq and Afghanistan have such poorly installed wiring that American troops face life-threatening risks, a top inspector for the Army says.

“It was horrible — some of the worst electrical work I’ve ever seen,” said Jim Childs, a master electrician and the top civilian expert in an Army safety survey. Childs told CNN that “with the buildings the way they are, we’re playing Russian roulette.”

Childs recently returned from Iraq, where he is taking part in a year long review aimed at correcting electrical hazards on U.S. bases. He told CNN that thousands of buildings in Iraq and Afghanistan are so badly wired that troops are at serious risk of death or injury.

He said problems are “everywhere” in Iraq, where 18 U.S. troops have died by electrocution since 2003. All deaths occurred in different circumstances and different locations, but many happened on U.S. bases being managed by various military contractors. The Army has has reopened investigations in at least five cases, according to Pentagon sources.

Of the nearly 30,000 buildings the Army’s “Task Force Safe” has examined so far, Childs said more than half “failed miserably.” And 8,527 had such serious problems that inspectors gave them a “flash” warning, meaning repairs had to be completed in four hours or the facility evacuated.

He said the majority of those buildings were wired by contractor KBR, based in Houston, Texas. KBR has faced extensive criticism from Congress over its performance in the war zone. KBR has defended its performance and argued it was not to blame for any fatalities.

Military electrocutions became a national issue about a year ago, after the January 2008 death of Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A decorated member of the Army’s Green Berets, Maseth was electrocuted in his shower at a U.S. base in Baghdad that once served as one of Saddam Hussein’s palaces.

His death was blamed on improper grounding and dangerous wiring on his living quarters. Soon after that, the Army asked Childs to help create “Task Force Safe,” a team of master electricians assigned to inspect Army posts for electrical dangers.

Childs said the “large majority” of the buildings the task force examined in Iraq had been wired by KBR, which he expected would follow American standards. But the results, he said, were “just horrible.”

In one building, “I had them pull a switch out of the wall to look at a switch, and when they pulled it out of the wall, the wires fell out of it,” Childs said. Thinking that was an exception, “We pulled the one next to it. They fell off,” he said. “It was just very, very poor quality work.”

Much of the work was done by crews from countries beyond Iraq, “with very little supervision by anybody.” And many of the problems involved improperly grounded systems that allowed plumbing to conduct electricity, which he said could lead to electric shocks such as the one that killed Maseth.

Childs said service orders on at least two occasions warned of the hazard in Maseth’s quarters, and “two simple electrical 101s” should have been checked out by electricians.

“A competent electrical contractor and electrician would have gone to that job site and tried to discover why pipes could have been energized,” he said. If they had been, “then Ryan Maseth would not have been electrocuted, in my opinion.”

Maseth’s family is suing KBR. An Army investigator has recommended that his cause of death be changed to “negligent homicide,” accusing the company of failing to properly supervise or inspect its work. The Army has yet to accept the recommendation.

KBR has repeatedly said it was not responsible for Maseth’s death or for any of the others and defended its work.

“KBR has worked diligently to address electrical issues when asked,” the company told CNN in a written statement. “What is important to remember is the challenging environment in which these issues exist.

“The electrical standards in Iraq are nowhere near those of Western or U.S. standards. Add to this the challenges that exist in a war zone. We have been and remain committed to fully cooperating with the government on this issue.”

But Childs said the majority of buildings on U.S. bases were built and wired by KBR since the U.S. invasion.

“They installed the housing units, they installed the electrical, they installed the wiring. They installed it all. And it’s wrong,” he said. “It’s all put in wrong.”

KBR was not alone, however. He said the Army survey found problems with every contractor whose work it inspected.

Task Force Safe has yet to inspect another 70,000 buildings in Iraq and has just begun its review of bases in Afghanistan, where contractors have raised similar concerns. In written answers to questions from CNN, Pentagon spokesman Chris Isleib said, “We are correcting hazardous conditions every day.”

“This is a huge undertaking but absolutely necessary for the life, health and safety of our service members and civilians,” he said. “When we find a defect, we put in an emergency work order and take action immediately to protect the people working or living in those facilities.”

But Childs told CNN he is surprised more Americans have not been hurt.
(click HERE for original article)

I’ll bet KBR and the Pentagon didn’t see this comin’!!! Kudo’s to Jim Childs, Scott Bronstein and Abbie Boudreau for a great article!

Ms Sparky

More bad wiring imperils troops in Iraq

March 26, 2009 — Ms Sparky

AP IMPACT: More bad wiring imperils troops in Iraq

By Kimberly Hefling, Associated Press Writer
Posted 3/26/2009 9:17 AM ET


	by Gary Kazanjian, AP

Iraq war veteran, former California Army National Guardsman Ron Vance, sits on the porch of his Fresno, Calif., home Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2009. The electric shock that ripped through Sgt. Vance’s body while showering at a U.S. base in Iraq in 2004 knocked him unconscious. Since the start of the war in 2003, hundreds of troops have been shocked in electrical incidents in U.S. facilities in Iraq; others have died, including three soldiers killed in showers on U.S. bases. (AP Photo/Gary Kazanjian)

WASHINGTON — The military is racing to inspect more than 90,000 U.S.-run facilities across Iraq to reduce a deadly threat troops face far off the battlefield: electrocution or shock while showering or using appliances.

About one-third of the inspections so far have turned up major electrical problems, according to interviews and an internal military document obtained by The Associated Press. Half of the problems they found have since been fixed but about 65,000 facilities still need to be inspected, which could take the rest of this year. Senior Pentagon officials were on Capitol Hill this week for briefings on the findings.

The work assigned to Task Force SAFE, which oversees the inspections and repairs, is aimed at preventing deaths like that of Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, 24, of Pittsburgh. He died in January 2008, one of at least three soldiers killed while showering since the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Scores more soldiers suffered shocks between September 2006 and July 2008, according to a database maintained by KBR Inc., the Houston-based contractor that oversees maintenance at most U.S. facilities in Iraq.

“We got a ton of buildings we know probably aren’t safe and we just don’t have them done yet,” said Jim Childs, an electrician the task force hired to help with the inspections. “It’s Russian roulette. I cringe every time I hear of a shock.”

Ron Vance, who served as a sergeant in the California Army National Guard, remembers being knocked out cold in a shower building in 2004 in Taji, Iraq. He said he screamed and fell while showering, suffering burns on his back and shoulders. Another soldier who tried to pry him from the shower head also was injured. Vance, 57, of Fresno, Calif., said he’s still too traumatized to shower without his wife nearby.

Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., called Task Force SAFE’s findings troubling. He said the task force is doing good work but said problems should have been fixed much earlier.

“Just imagine getting the news that they’ve done 25,000 facilities, but your son or daughter is in the 65,000 they haven’t done,” Casey told the AP.

Last year, 94 troops stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan or other Central Command countries sought medical treatment for electric shock, according to Defense Department health data. KBR’s database lists 231 electric shock incidents in the more than 89,000 facilities the company runs in Iraq, according to military records.

KBR is the target of a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Maseth’s family. They claim the company knew there were electrical problems in the building where he died, but didn’t fix them. His mother testified last year on Capitol Hill.

Army investigators have since reclassified Maseth’s death as negligent homicide caused by KBR and two of its supervisors. An Army investigator said KBR failed to ensure work was done by qualified electricians and plumbers. The case is under legal review.

“KBR is not responsible for the electrocution deaths widely reported, including that of Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth,” Heather Browne, a KBR spokeswoman, said in an e-mail.

KBR and another contractor, Arkel International, are the targets of a second lawsuit, filed by the family of another soldier electrocuted in Iraq, Staff Sgt. Christopher Lee Everett, 23, of Huntsville, Texas. Everett, a member of the Texas Army National Guard, was killed in September 2005 when the power washer he was using to clean a vehicle short-circuited.

Task Force SAFE inspectors found many of the facilities that fall under KBR’s contract have electrical problems, according to an internal military document obtained by The Associated Press. Of the 20,340 maintained by KBR and inspected so far, 6,935 failed the government inspection, the document said. When about 2,000 of the buildings with faulty work were re-inspected, the facilities passed, the document said.

The Defense Contract Management Agency has accepted KBR’s plans to correct the problems, according to the document the AP obtained. It said the agency will closely oversee KBR’s work.

Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., questioned why KBR has been allowed to continue to perform electrical work in Iraq. He said the military should take a more careful look at the electrical work in Afghanistan, too, where KBR also has a large contract for electrical work.

“If they found widespread problems, the obvious question is why has there not been action to remove the contract and bring in another contractor?” Dorgan said.

Browne, the company spokeswoman, said KBR has cooperated with the government, performing technical inspection and providing requested information.

Task Force SAFE (the acronym stands for Safety Action for Fire and Electricity) said it is making progress. The Army is tracking reports of just over two fires each day in Iraq, mostly blamed on electrical faults. But that’s down from nearly five fires a day, Brig. Gen. Kurt Stein said in an e-mail to the AP. Stein said the number of electrical shocks has also been reduced.

“Although we are still seeing some electrical shocks, they tend to be minor and are often preventable,” Stein said.

In addition to the repairs, Stein said the military has purchased more reliable surge protectors to replace ones that had been bought in Iraq.

“Our hearts go out to the families of those who died or were injured from electrical shock or fire,” Stein said. “We take our job to inspect, identify, repair and prevent electrical and fire incidents very seriously.”

Vance, the guardsman who was shocked in the shower, said the military didn’t take his injuries seriously. He’s since retired on partial disability from the Veterans Affairs Department for a “cognitive disorder” related to the incident, but he has sought additional compensation for what he describes as ongoing knee and shoulder problems for falling in the shower.

“I really don’t think they cared. I didn’t die,” Vance said. “It wasn’t a priority on their list. It was like, he’s fine. He’s alive. He’s OK.”
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. (Click HERE for original article)

County delays KBR pact after vets protest-Hays County, Texas

March 25, 2009 — Ms Sparky

Hopefully the Hays County Commissioners will vote with their conscience.

County delays KBR pact after vets protest

By SEAN BATURA
News Reporter

A routine execution of a professional services contract turned into a political statement at the Hays County Commissioners Court Tuesday morning, where the court wound up taking no action on an item to approve an engineering contract for KBR.

Two combat veterans of the war in Iraq testified against giving the FM 110 engineering services contract to KBR, Inc. Rather than execute the contract, the court decided to give sponsoring Precinct 1 Commissioner Debbie Ingalsbe (D-San Marcos) time to decide if she wants to again propose giving the contract to KBR.

KBR, a Houston-based engineering, procurement and construction firm, has been in the news in recent months for charges ranging from bribery of foreign government officials to endangering their own employees and U.S. troops serving in Iraq. Pending litigation against KBR involves allegations including human trafficking, purposely sending unarmed employees into a dangerous combat zone (the “Good Friday Massacre”), exposing employees and national guardsmen to carcinogenic sodium dichromate and covering up evidence of rapes of its employees.

“I personally watched KBR ship empty trucks around Iraq,” Hays County resident Bryan Hannah told the court. Hannah served in Baghdad from 2006 to 2008.

“I put my life on the line to escort those empty trucks and make a profit for this company,” Hannah said.

This is an excerpt from deeper in the article. A very wise man!!

“My father once told me, ‘Son, your dollar votes; if you don’t like the way a company does business, then don’t do business with them,’” Foster said. “I believe I speak for many of us here in Hays County when I say, ‘We don’t like the way KBR does business. We don’t want to give them any more of our money.’ I would like to ask the court to postpone making a decision on this contract.”

Click HERE to read the entire article. It’s worth it. And be sure to leave a comment. Tell them why you think KBR does not deserve one more US tax dollar! Click HERE to go the to Hays County Commissioners Page. Call or email and ask them to award the contract to a contractor that is not under investigation by the US government.

Ms Sparky

Some Great Websites and Blogs To Talk About

March 25, 2009 — Ms Sparky

I love it when readers and fellow bloggers send me links to interesting sites. Go check out these sites and leave comments on the blogs. Bloggers just love comments.

Burn Pits Action Center – This website was launched as the central information clearinghouse for burn pits with assistance from the office of Congressman Tim Bishop, Kerry Baker from the Disabled American Veterans and Kelly Kennedy from Army Times.

War Mules – This website just launched and is a place to discuss the issues of the modern day war mule… “the civilian contractor”.

‘I believe that every soldier who has anything to do with horse or mule has come to love them for what they are and the grand work they have done and are doing in and out of the death zones.’ Captain Sidney Galtrey, autumn 1918

Like contractors they stumbled through the hell of no-man’s land, in the mud, rain and terror of the trenches they supplied their comrades with food, water and ammunition, even though they themselves were starved, sodden and spent. They died in their thousands.

Like the contractors they were the backbone of our military.

Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight – The committee is asking for your opinion. You can vote on my opinions and those of others. You can bet I’ve already been there. You need a free Google account. Click HERE for that.

What hearings would you like to see? What contract or program needs additional oversight? What laws, regulations, and policies need to be changed?

I’ll need all the suggestions and support I can get — I’ll draw heavily on your input as we move forward toward a system that better serves the government and the taxpayer.

- Senator Claire McCaskill

The War Comes Home - Our government’s failure to take care of its War Casualties and the lives left hanging in the balance.

Catbird Scout – A gifted writer who is finishing her first book. I can’t wait.

When I awake this morning, awareness filtering into unconsciousness like cream into black coffee, my eyes seek the red light orientation of my clock. (Can’t you just smell the coffee!)

If you know of a great website or blog that needs to be talked about, send me an email and tell me about it.

Ms Sparky

KBR And Their Third Country National Slaves

March 24, 2009 — Ms Sparky

I’ve gotten some “hate mail” with regards to a comment I made on “The Rachel Maddow Show” and “Stand Up! With Pete Dominick”. The comments are regarding the lack of “craft” qualifications for some of the Third Country National (TCN) also called Sub-Contract Workers (SCW) and Host Country National (HCN’s) working under LOGCAP contracts.

First, there are three types of workers working under LOGCAP contracts.

Expats (Expatriates)-These are the Americans working for a LOGCAP Contractor such as KBR, Fluor, Dyncorp etc.

Host Country Nationals (HCN’s) - These are local residents, ie Iraqi’s, Afghan’s, Kuwaiti’s working in their own countries.

Sub-Contract Workers (SCW’s) also called Third Country Nationals (TCN’s) – These are workers from countries other than the US or the country they are working in, ie Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait. These TCN’s can be from Canada, England, Croatia, Bosnia but are most likely from the Philippines, India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Contractors like KBR, Fluor and Dyncorp hire TCN’s as craftspeople such as electricians, plumbers, carpenters, HVAC and expect them to have the same skill-set, experience and safety culture that Americans have even though they have never been exposed to US codes, standards and training. There are some countries such as Canada and England that have codes and licensing requirements. But the majority of these TCN’s come for poor third world countries such as India or Sri Lanka and have no craft experience. Even the best Sri Lankan electrician is not up to par with a licensed US electrician. That’s not an insult, just a fact.

My issue is not whether or not these people are hard workers. Because they normally are. My issue is that MOST should not be performing craft work. KBR and others will say…..”They are supervised by expats.” That’s not always the case. More often than not the expats are off BSing or sleeping or just don’t care or they are not qualified to supervise any crafts.

The mission is to support our soldiers. The electrocution deaths and injuries prove that has not been happening.

My next issue. These TCN’s are forced to live in inhumane an filthy cramped conditions. They have to stay long enough to pay off “recruiters” and airfare. They are fed very poor diets. And the decision makers in KBR and the DoD walk by these camps everyday with the “Not my problem” attitude. Now there are thousands of these people stranded on the streets of Iraq without passports and visas because their “recruiter” just left them!

My next issue. This practice promotes human trafficking and abuse and I’m damn sick and tired of KBR and others not taking responsibility for it. They contract with these slave traders and the DoD allows it.

So…here is my stand on the issue of TCN’s, SCW’s, HCN’s performing craft work. If you must employ TCN or HCN craft workers, the ratio of qualified expat of the same craft to TCN should be no more the 1to 2 and the expat must be held responsible for the work of the TCN or HCN. I’ve watched one expat supervising up to 20 TCN’s or HCN’s doing electrical work. How can you watch what each and every person is doing? It’s impossible.

I will say I was very fortunate. I worked with who I feel was one of the best Iraqi electricians in Iraq. He had better work ethics and attitude than many of the US electricians and he was willing to learn the “American way”.

Third Country Nationals and Host Country Nationals are also employed in the Dining Facilities, Laundry, Housekeeping, Security, Drivers, Laborers and Administrative. I want to think for the most part, the expats treated these people well, but I know there are instances of abuse. We had several Bosnian Laundry supervisors who were so abusive to the Iraqi workers. But, KBR didn’t do anything about it.

I loathe human rights abusers. If slavery is illegal in the States, why is it legal on US bases in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait.

Ms Sparky

Burning Toxic Waste Makes US Soldiers Sick

March 21, 2009 — Ms Sparky

Burning Toxic Waste is Making U.S. Soldiers and Iraqis Sick, But the Pentagon Refuses to Admit It

By Nora Eisenberg, AlterNet. Posted March 18, 2009.

Six years into the war, many U.S. bases in Iraq are still without incinerators, leaving open pits spewing toxic plumes over soldiers and civilians.

Acetaldehyde, Acrolien, Arsenic, Benzene, Carbon Monoxide, Ethylbenzene, Formaldehyde, Hydrogen Cyanide, Hydrogen Fluoride, Phosgene, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulfuric Acid, Toluene, Trichloroethane, Xylene. These are just some of the chemicals detected in smoke from the Balad Burn Pit, one of the many vast open pits spewing toxic plumes over Iraq and Afghanistan.

But not to worry; In “Just the Facts,” an information sheet for troops, the Department of Defense has stated that “the potential short- and long-term risks” from Balad “were estimated to be low.” The VA has just announced it will monitor reports of veterans’ pit-related illness. But the DoD has yet to declassify old air sample reports or issue current findings.

The Pentagon’s fact sheet appeared after VAWatchdog.com linked to a memo showing that, as early as 2006, the DoD had known that the pit was “an acute health hazard.” In the memo, titled “Burn Pit Health Hazards,” Air Force Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight Commander Darrin Curtis wrote to authorities that he found it “amazing that the burn pit has been able to operate without restrictions over the past few years without significant engineering controls being put in place.” In an accompanying memo, James R. Elliott, Chief of Air Force Aeromedical Services, concurred that the pit’s fumes contained “known carcinogens” and “respiratory sensitizers” that posed a “chronic and acute health hazard to our troops and the local population.” (Read the rest of the story here…)

Senators propose registry for poisoned Iraq veterans

March 20, 2009 — Ms Sparky

I hope this registry will include exposure to the Burn Pits and Depleted Uranium!!

Senators propose registry for poisoned Iraq veterans

by Jullie Sullivan, The Oregonian
Thursday March 19, 2009, 9:03 PM

Three U.S. senators want Oregon Army National Guard soldiers exposed to toxic chemicals in Iraq to be tracked and receive lifetime medical care for problems that result.

They introduced a bill Thursday to create a registry that would speed exams and treatment through the Department of Veterans Affairs. The legislation also authorizes a scientific review of evidence linking chemical exposure to health problems, much like the Agent Orange registry that was created for Vietnam veterans.

The proposal would affect at least 292 Oregon soldiers who served in Iraq in 2003, as well as hundreds from Indiana, South Carolina and West Virginia. The troops, including the first Oregonians into Iraq, may have been exposed to cancer-causing hexavalent chromium.

The bill would apply to other — even future — hazards.

“We have 3,000 Guard members about to deploy in May, and I want to make sure they’re protected,” said co-sponsor Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon. “They face enough risk, and they shouldn’t have to battle their own government if they need treatment when they come home.”

The bill would ease access to care that soldiers are already entitled to as veterans. But instead of veterans having to prove that certain medical conditions may be related to chemical exposure, the government would presume that connection, said Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Indiana.

“We are shifting the burden of proof,” Bayh said.

Since January, more than two dozen Oregon veterans have asked to be placed on a registry and more than a dozen have reported health issues, mostly breathing problems. The troops were with the 1st Battalion, 162nd Infantry Division that served at the Qarmat Ali water treatment plant from April 2003 to June 2003. They were protecting civilian contractors from the Haliburton subsidiary KBR, which was restoring Iraqi oil production.

Bags of a corrosion fighter that contained hexavalent chromium had been spilled and piled, sometimes feet deep, at the plant. Soldiers may have been exposed while patrolling at the water plant, and they may have exposed other soldiers who shared their dusty living quarters or vehicles. Inhaling an amount as small as a grain of salt of hexavalent chromium can greatly increase the risk of cancer.

But nearly six years after their tour, some Oregon soldiers still may not know of the potential danger. A Guard spokesman said Thursday that 43 registered letters sent to 292 Oregon soldiers have been returned unopened.

Also Thursday, Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., introduced his own bill requiring the Department of Defense to notify soldiers in writing if they have been exposed to contaminants.

“When we send American soldiers overseas, we have a responsibility to protect their health and safety,” Schrader said in a statement. “Our responsibility does not end when they leave the combat zone — our responsibility to them and their families is a lifelong commitment.”

Schrader has joined with Rep. Baron Hill, D-Ind., to introduce the U.S. House version of the Senate’s registry bill.

Schrader has personally reached out to Larry Roberta of Aumsville whose story of being 100 percent disabled with lung and other problems since serving at the Iraqi water treatment plan was featured in The Oregonian on March 7.

“If it helps someone not have to go through the heartache we did, that would be nice,” said Roberta’s wife, Michelle.

Concerns about chemical exposures in Iraq had passed virtually unnoticed until last year when Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-North Dakota, held 18 hearings into waste, abuse and fraud. At one hearing in June, former civilian employees of Kellogg, Brown & Root, testified that their managers disregarded their concerns about hexavalent chromium. By the employees’ own survey, 60 percent of those at the water plant were having health problems, including difficulty breathing and bloody noses. They included British and U.S. soldiers.

KBR whistleblowers had sued the company, a case now in arbitration, according to Houston attorney Mike Doyle. In September, Sens. Bayh, Dorgan, Wyden, Robert Byrd, D-W.V., and Richard Lugar, R-Ind., proposed an amendment to last year’s National Defense Authorization Act to create a registry. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, then senators, were co-sponsors.

In December, 16 Indiana soldiers sued KBR. But it wasn’t until Bayh mentioned the Oregon soldiers in a television program that the commanders of the Oregon Guard say they learned of the exposure.

For veterans such as Scott Ashby of Portland, the proposed legislation promises help. “After five years of living with health problems, it’s so nice to see we are starting to make some headway.” said Ashby, 41.

In July 2005, the Department of Defense acknowledged soldiers’ exposure to other hazards in Iraq including radiation at Al Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Center; chemical and depleted uranium at Al-Samawah; lead at Camp War Eagle; the nerve-gas sarin in Baghdad; and hazardous smoke at the Al Mishraq Sulfur plant. Outside Iraq, soldiers faced industrial pollution at Ash Shuaiba Port in Kuwait and at Kharsi Khanabad in Uzbekistan.

Michelle Roberta said streamlining and informing the VA staff through a registry would help.

“You have to tell your story over and over,” she said, “and that gets old.” She hopes such tracking would help detect health problems that may not appear for years, especially cancer.

“It scares me to know that he might be a ticking time bomb,” she said of her husband, Larry. “I keep telling him he’s worth much more to me alive.”

– Julie Sullivan; juliesullivan@news.oregonian.com (click HERE to read original article)

KBR Exposed Troops To At Least 7 Toxic Substances-says report

March 19, 2009 — Ms Sparky

Bill Would Help Soldiers Exposed To Hazardous Chemicals

BY APRIL BAER
Portland, OR March 19, 2009 3:26 p.m.

Two Oregon lawmakers are working on bills designed to help Oregon soldiers exposed to dangerous chemicals during overseas duty.

Congressman Kurt Schrader’s House bill deals with informing soldiers of potential harm.

Senator Ron Wyden has a separate bill designed to cut red tape. April Baer reports on the Senate version.

Investigative reports have revealed that soldiers from Oregon and three other states were exposed to at least 7 toxic substances during their service at a water treatment plant. Some of the materials were carcinogenic.

Soldiers in some spots recalled guarding private contractors in full hazmat suits, but received no notice that they themselves faced any environmental risk.

Wyden and two other Senators propose to shift the burden of proof.

Ron Wyden: “The whole process of gathering evidence right now essentially puts the burden of proof on the veteran.”

If this bill became law, veterans would have only to demonstrate symptoms to qualify for complete care for service-connected illnesses.

Employees and some soldiers have filed suit against the private contractor KBR, claiming negligence in the face of an obvious health risk.

Can anyone tell me if this is just an Oregon State Bill. This really should apply to all troops. This should be Federal.

Ms Sparky

KBR Work Presents ‘Security Risk’ Says Pentagon

March 19, 2009 — Ms Sparky

This is an amazing cooperative article from the Huffington Post and the American News Project. I can not improve upon it. So…start reading here then click through. There are three short videos and some audio at the Huff Post. Criminals with CAC cards on military bases in a war zone has always been an issue with me and I have blogged about it before. Click HERE to read that post. Every KBR employee needs to be re checked and KBR needs to foot the bill! I wonder if this has anything to do with Stanski quitting all of a sudden!

KBR Work Presents ‘Security Risk’ Says Pentagon Official

The Huffington Post
David Murdock-American News Project
Posted March 19, 2009 | 09:11 AM (EST)

Thousands without background checks may have been given access to military bases at home and abroad.

In what appears to be a stunning lack of due diligence, the Pentagon has allowed private contractors to grant civilians access to military bases, including in highly sensitive areas like Iraq and Afghanistan, without evidence of appropriate background checks.

The revelations were detailed in a recent report that the Acting Inspector General of the Department Defense, Gordon S. Heddell, delivered to the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee. The report describes how, since 2002, Common Access Cards — the IDs that both troops and civilians use to pass through military checkpoints around the world – may have been granted to nearly 40,000 civilians without proper vetting.

At the February 26th subcommittee hearing, Heddell painted a picture of a chaotic system operated by KBR and other contractors who have increasingly taken over functions typically left to the government.

“We are concerned,” said Heddell, “because of what we think are potentially extremely weak internal controls.”

According to Heddell, KBR and other private contractors went around Department of Defense procedures and approved ID cards, known as CAC cards, for civilian employees of their choosing.

As such, proper background checks were never confirmed on an estimated 39,000 contractors who pass through military gates on a daily basis.

News of this security threat sparked bipartisan concern about the unprecedented use of private contractors by the U.S. military. Republican Bill Young of Florida is one of those disturbed by the possible dangers posed by the lack of oversight. (click HERE to read entire article)

Ms Sparky

KBR’s Bruce Stanski Quits Abruptly

March 18, 2009 — Ms Sparky

Chief of KBR’s government division quits abruptly

By BRETT CLANTON Houston Chronicle Copyright 2009
March 18, 2009, 4:35PM

The head of KBR’s government contracting division, which oversees its often controversial work with U.S. troops in the Middle East, has resigned, the company said today in a regulatory filing.

Bruce A. Stanski had been president of Houston-based KBR’s government and infrastructure business segment—headquartered in Arlington, Va.— since August 2007, shortly before the firm was spun off by oil field services giant Halliburton Co.

He informed KBR Tuesday he was resigning that same day “to pursue other opportunities,” the company said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A company spokeswoman said KBR had not yet named a replacement and had no other details.

Stanski began his career with KBR in 1995, according to the company’s Web site. Among the former positions he had held were chief financial officer, vice president of strategic planning and vice president of share services.

He could not be reached for comment this afternoon.

In recent years, KBR has been the sole provider of non-military services to U.S. troops in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan through the Pentagon’s multibillion dollar Logistics Civil Augmentation Program contract known as Logcap III.

But last year, amid allegations of favoritism, the government decided to divide up the next contract, called Logcap IV, among KBR and two other companies.

KBR’s government and infrastructure unit also provides services to the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense, as well as a number of other foreign governments.

The company continues to face criticism for its work in Iraq, from allegations of overbilling the government to negligence that cost civilian lives. The company has denied wrongdoing.

Halliburton, which began spinning off KBR in late 2006 through an initial public offering, wanted to cut ties with KBR to focus on its more profitable oil field services business. It completed the separation in April 2007.

brett.clanton@chron.com (click HERE to read to original article)

This all reminds of a song…..what’s the name of it…..thinking……thinking….oh yes…..

“Man On The Run!”

Ms Sparky

UPDATE: Click HERE for a Bruce Stanski update

KBR Hides Witnesses In Iraq?

March 18, 2009 — Ms Sparky

KBR keeps witness info concealed, lawyer says

By Robin Acton
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

A lawyer for the parents of an electrocuted soldier on Tuesday accused defense contractor KBR Inc. of concealing information from unnamed witnesses interviewed after his 2008 death in Iraq.

Court papers show those witnesses might be current or former KBR employees and subcontractors, including farmers and plumbers who were not electricians, who performed electrical work in the Radwaniyah Palace Complex in Baghdad, where Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, 24, of Shaler, died Jan. 2, 2008.

The decorated Green Beret died when an ungrounded rooftop pump electrified water flowing through pipes into his shower. Records show his death is one of 18 electrocutions in Iraq since 2003.

U.S. District Judge Nora Barry Fischer is considering KBR’s request to dismiss a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Maseth’s parents, Cheryl Harris and Douglas Maseth, who accuse the contractor of shoddy electrical work. KBR blames the military for failing to order repairs to known deficient electrical systems in the building where Maseth lived and maintains KBR employees did not install or work on the pump motor.

Plaintiffs’ attorney Stephen Del Sole told Fischer he has no idea who the witnesses are, where they are and what kind of statements they gave during KBR’s investigation into Maseth’s death.

“Other than military personnel, every witness in this case is controlled by KBR,” Del Sole said, who believes some witnesses are in Afghanistan, Iraq or elsewhere in the world. “Many are overseas and we have no way of getting to them.”

KBR attorney Joseph Luciana insisted the names and information sought by the plaintiffs should not be released because it is either protected by the attorney-client privilege or is confidential attorney work product related to KBR’s internal investigation. He said current and former KBR employees are offered legal representation and protection with regard to what they say to company lawyers.

Luciana said KBR turned over about 50,000 pages of documents and that Del Sole deposed several witnesses.

“We have not refused to disclose any facts we’ve been asked about,” Luciana said.

In court papers, Del Sole referred to a February 2007 Army memo that directed KBR to perform operations and maintenance work under a $3.2 million contract on 126 buildings, roads, grounds and city services at Radwaniyah Palace Complex.

Without names of witnesses KBR interviewed, Del Sole said he has no idea what facts they might have revealed regarding events surrounding Maseth’s death. He told the court that tracking down KBR employees around the world would pose a hardship for his small firm, noting it cost “several thousand dollars” to depose KBR employee Paul Hardin by video link to Dubai.

Records show KBR employees knew about deficiencies in Maseth’s building. In recent depositions, they offered insight into the contractor’s operations in the Iraq war theater.

Hardin, in his deposition, said the water pump at Maseth’s building could have been grounded easily and that KBR could have spent up to $2,500 on repairs there without further authorization from the military.

A deposition given by KBR electrician Andrew Mundis revealed KBR lacked materials and skilled American electricians to perform necessary work. Mundis said farmers performed some electrical work at the complex, where a Filipino plumber employed by KBR admitted to Army investigators he installed the rooftop pump in 2006.

Robin Acton can be reached at racton@tribweb.com or 724-830-6295. (Click HERE to read original article)

I am not surprised that KBR would hide behind the camp walls in Iraq. I also find it interesting to believe that if KBR weren’t guilty they would be hiding witnesses. If you have information regarding who the Subcontract Workers (SCW) or Third Country National (TCN) workers are involved in this case, send me an email.

Ms Sparky

My Interview on “Stand Up! with Pete Dominick” 03-17-2009

March 17, 2009 — Ms Sparky

I just finished my segment on Stand Up! with Pete Dominick which is a political talk show broadcast from 3-6pm EST on the POTUS satellite radio channel – Sirius 110 / XM 130 and boasts 18.5 million listeners.

This was a lot more relaxed than live TV. I was sitting at my desk drinking coffee and talking on the phone. That is what I do best!! And I should be good at it….I do it for at least 12 hours a day! I fielded a few friendly calls and Pete asked some great questions about KBR and the electrocution issues in Iraq. I talked about tools and material issues. Third country national workers and KBR and DCMA accountability. I could have talked for hours.

Although this interview was serious, Pete Dominick is also an very gifted comedian and warms up for Comedy Centrals The Cobert Report and The Daily Show. (LOVE THEM!!) And is one of the most booked comics on the NYC club scene where he regularly works all of the top clubs including The Comedy Cellar , Gotham , The Comic Strip , Caroline’s, Comix, Stand Up NY, Dangerfield’s and The Laugh Factory.

Click HERE to here to listen the interview. The photo is from the Senate DPC hearings. Some photos just never go away! I hope they link the audio to the page.

My thanks again to Pete Dominick and the staff at Stand Up! with Pete Dominick.

Ms Sparky

Edited 3/24/2009

The Stephen Madison Story

March 17, 2009 — Ms Sparky

Thank you to the poststar.com for the video.

You must read the entire article from the poststar.com. click HERE.

Ms Sparky

Faulty shower sent Corinth soldier home wounded

March 16, 2009 — Ms Sparky

I am so angry with you KBR. This is so avoidable. So unnecessary. So tragic. Bill Utt are you going to blame this on Halliburton as well! Is KBR responsible for anything? Please take the time to click through to the original article. Well done Will Doolittle!! How do I get the video for my site?

Faulty shower sent Corinth soldier home wounded

By Will Doolittle
will@poststar.com
Updated: Monday, March 16, 2009 11:44 AM EDT

It was early on a Thursday morning and Stephen Madison was standing in the warm water of a shower at Camp Anaconda in Balad, Iraq.

Showers are a godsend in the desert, where dust cakes on soldiers’ skin and sand gathers in their hair.

For soldiers like Madison, who worked repairing Black Hawk helicopters for the 82nd Medical Company, a shower also helped wash off the grime and grease from the job.

Madison was standing in a trailer full of showers, one of the “ablution units” that, according to an electrician who worked for KBR in Iraq, were thrown together by foreign laborers in Turkey and Kuwait, then towed into place at American camps.

The units were a mess, said Debbie Crawford, who ended up testifying before Congress about the lapses of her employer, military contractor KBR.

And improperly wired showers are one of the pieces of malfunctioning military equipment that have led to the deaths of at least 18 U.S. soldiers in Iraq from electrocution. (You must click HERE. Read the entire article, view the short video and view the pics.)

If you have any information about the circumstances surrounding this incident or any other water heater incident please contact me.

Ms Sparky

KBR Receives Good Grades From Pentagon? WHY?

March 16, 2009 — Ms Sparky

I have all but quit reading the Houston Chronicle so I didn’t see this article come out. It’s about how KBR is trying to move away from the “soul sucking” shadow that looms over them. They call it Halliburton. They are trying to the blame bad press and poor quality work on Halliburton. Halliburton and KBR had been split almost two years when SSG Ryan Maseth was killed. It’s clear by the comments on the Houston Chron’s article that KBR probably asked it’s employees to comment positively. They are desperate for some positive publicity. Be sure to sign in or sign up and leave your comment and vote on comments. “thumbs up” or “thumbs down”. Either Read it below or click HERE.

KBR moves forward, one step at a time

By BRETT CLANTON Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
March 13, 2009, 11:41PM

With a major foreign bribery case recently settled, other legal issues wrapping up and its financial performance improving, KBR is finally moving forward, less burdened than ever before by the weight of its past.

Recently, William Utt, chief executive of the Houston-based engineering and construction firm and government contractor, even went so far as to say, “It’s a new day at KBR.”

But the company, which was spun off from oil field services giant Halliburton Co. in April 2007, still faces a tough road.

With the global economy in a tailspin, KBR is feeling pressure as customers delay or reduce spending on large-scale energy projects for which the company is known.

It also expects less U.S. troop-support work in the Middle East as a new contract is divvied up among several firms and the Obama administration moves to withdraw from Iraq.

And, while some legal matters are coming to an end, several other cases involving complaints about the firm’s work in Iraq remain unresolved, keeping the company in the headlines and adding bruises to its already banged-up image.

Utt, in an interview with the Chronicle at his downtown office, said that despite ongoing challenges, the company is stronger than it’s been since he took the reins in March 2006.

“When I got here, there was really, I sensed, an apathy on the part of our employees that they couldn’t make a difference in terms of their performance. They were buried within Halliburton,” he said. “Now that we’re out by ourselves, people can see firsthand how our business is going.”

Infrastructure work

KBR is doing work on some of the world’s biggest energy infrastructure projects, including Chevron Corp.’s massive Gorgon liquefied natural gas venture in Australia and a ConocoPhillips- and Saudi Aramco-backed oil refinery in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia.

Though some have slowed, KBR so far has not seen any major project cancellations within its $14 billion book of orders, nor laid off workers because of the economic downturn, Utt said.

“These projects are four and five years in duration, so investors look beyond today’s $35 and $40 oil price. They see several years from now a very different market.”

Elsewhere, KBR is rebuilding its domestic construction and services business and expects bigger proceeds in coming years from five acquisitions it made in 2008, including a $550 million deal to buy Birmingham, Ala.-based construction company BE&K.

As part of the effort, KBR may also be on the hunt for acquisitions that could beef up its presence in the Gulf of Mexico, where the company built the first offshore platform in the 1940s and sees new opportunity for growth as deep-water discoveries come on line in coming years, Utt said.

Time to wind down

While the company’s troop-support work in Iraq will soon decline, KBR will need time to dismantle its 85,000 facilities in the country and move equipment and people out. There could also be new contracts in Afghanistan as the Obama administration puts greater focus there, he said.

Halliburton, which began spinning off KBR in late 2006 through an initial public offering, wanted to cut ties with KBR to focus on its more profitable oil field services business.

But since the split, KBR has had to deal with a host of issues dating back to its time within Halliburton.

Last month, the biggest of those was resolved, when Halliburton and KBR agreed to pay $579 million to the Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission to settle foreign bribery allegations in Nigeria. Though KBR’s obligation was just $20??million, the deal removed the threat of a bigger financial hit to the company and concluded an issue that Utt estimated consumed 10??percent of his time as CEO.

Other major legal matters, including an ongoing contract dispute with Mexico’s state-owned oil company, should be resolved by month’s end, Utt said.

Civil lawsuits linger

Andy Kaplowitz, industry analyst with Barclays Capital, applauds Utt’s efforts in cleaning up the company.

“KBR doesn’t have nearly the same risk factors it did three years ago when he took over,” he said.

But several civil lawsuits related to Iraq will take longer to close, including a case alleging KBR knowingly allowed troops to be contaminated by toxic well water and another alleging soldiers were electrocuted while showering in a building wired by KBR.

Utt denies KBR was at fault in either case, and he said the company continues to receive good grades from the Pentagon for its work serving meals, doing laundry and performing other nonmilitary tasks for the U.S. Army in the Middle East.

Nevertheless, the lawsuits create “noise” around KBR that could continue to weigh on the company’s stock price, Kaplowitz said.

Utt acknowledged his surprise about the staying power of criticism against KBR, but said it comes with the territory of being head of a company that does things few others are willing or able to do.

“It does take thick skin,” he said, “to sit in this chair.” (click HERE to read the original article)

IBEW Members Help Improve Safety in Mideast

March 13, 2009 — Ms Sparky

After Base Electrocutions, IBEW Members Help Improve Safety in Mideast

by The Electrical Worker, Fri Mar 13, 2009 at 03:15:36 PM EST

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Boston Local 103 journeyman wireman Kevin Brashears was fearful of becoming another statistic: one more hardworking family man victimized by the economic free fall. But after experiencing unemployment like many workers across the country – and facing foreclosure on his mortgage – Brashears hit pay dirt in an unlikely place.

In March, Brashears shipped out to Iraq to work for military contractor KBR. He stands to make more than $120,000 for his 12-month commitment. At the same time, he looks forward to the chance to improve safety for the troops stationed at KBR-run facilities, which have been plagued by shoddy electrical wiring, leading to many troop deaths.

“I’m trying to do right by my family and at the same time help serve my country,” Brashears said.

Mired in scandal and facing critical heat from U.S. investigators, KBR – the notorious anti-union company that won Iraq contracts in a no-bid process under the Bush administration – is now attempting an about-face. Greater government scrutiny and heightened exposure are forcing the contractor to recruit a skilled work force, as opposed to outsourcing work to Iraqi locals or unskilled third-country nationals. The result: KBR representatives are signing up licensed electricians in the U.S. at a rapid clip, many of whom are out-of-work IBEW members.

“For some members who are unemployed right now, working for KBR in Iraq looks like a pretty good deal,” said Boston Local 103 Business Manager Mike Monahan. He cited the high pay and numerous stalled construction projects due to the credit crunch and economy as reasons more than 25 of the local’s members are slated to head out to Iraq. “So far, the relationship between KBR and our local has been good, and those members who signed up are happy to have the work.”

But even as IBEW members travel to Iraq to fix the problems, the company continues to pay the price for its past failures.

Following 18 troop deaths at U.S. bases – many of which are run by KBR – Army investigators in January recommended the manner of death for Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth be changed from “accidental” to “negligent homicide.” Maseth was electrocuted in January 2008 while taking a shower at his Baghdad base.

The Defense Contract Management Agency has documented 231 shock incidents from September 2006 through July of last year – seven months after Maseth’s death. The agency said in its 45-page report that KBR “failed to meet the basic requirements to identify life-threatening conditions on tanks, water pumps, electrical outlets and electrical panels.”

The Army is considering charging two unnamed KBR supervisors and the company at large with criminal liability. No charges have been filed yet.

IBEW members who have worked for the contractor in Iraq have helped shine a light on the myriad problems at KBR-run facilities. Portland, Ore., Local 48 member Debbie Crawford worked in Baghdad’s Green Zone from 2004 to 2006. She testified before a Senate Democratic Policy Committee hearing last year about the poor management and shoddy quality of work she saw being performed by unlicensed, barely-trained employees working alongside licensed IBEW electricians. Maseth’s mother, Cheryl Harris, also testified (see “IBEW Urges Electrical Safety at U.S. Bases,” October 2008, The Electrical Worker).

“Some of us who went to Iraq were so stunned that we couldn’t in good conscience move forward without trying to right some wrongs we saw on the worksites,” Crawford said. “I feel strongly that it was our testimonies that got the ball rolling on investigating KBR’s actions abroad.”

Since then, Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) have pressed the Pentagon and the Army to conduct assessments of KBR-run facilities. “We must not only ensure that full accountability is served in this case, but that the Pentagon is also doing all that it can to prevent the future electrocutions of American personnel in both Iraq and Afghanistan,” Casey said.

Crawford warned members considering whether to sign up. “People need to go over there fully informed, and know what to expect – that they’re frequently on their own,” Crawford said. Appearing on MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show March 9, Crawford told 2 million viewers about water systems yielding high voltage rates that shocked many troops and civilians and how her foreman was not even an electrician.

“Things may not be perfect, but they are turning around,” says Savannah, Ga., Local 508 journeyman wireman Henry Blount. He worked for KBR in the Green Zone from 2004 to 2006 then served as an electrical auditor for Versar International Assistance Projects – a Colorado-based company – in Iraq. His recent duties included eliminating hazards in base infrastructures.

Blount was reassigned to Afghanistan last month. He says that while challenges are considerable, he appreciates the opportunity to help instruct Iraqi and Afghan electricians as they strive to make a better life for themselves.

“The IBEW brothers and sisters over here all support the troops, and we all support a safe work environment,” Blount said. “I feel confident I’m helping make the situation better each time I step on the job site.”

For Brashears, going to Iraq allows him to put the IBEW’s high standards to work in a changing and challenging environment.

“The fact that KBR turned to the IBEW when they needed more licensed electricians shows what a safety-conscious, efficient and professional work force our union has,” Brashears said. “I’m deeply saddened by the troop deaths and accidents, and I hope some military families will rest easier knowing that their loved ones are in the very capable hands of the IBEW.” (click HERE to read original article)

Ms Spartky

Filing: Faulty pump installed by KBR (Kills Soldier)

March 12, 2009 — Ms Sparky

Filing: Faulty pump installed by KBR

By Robin Acton
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, March 13, 2009

A rooftop pump supplying water to a shower that electrocuted a Shaler soldier was installed by a plumber working in Iraq under defense contractor KBR Inc. in 2006, according to papers filed in U.S. District Court.

Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, 24, a decorated Green Beret, died Jan. 2, 2008, when an electrical current flowed through pipes and charged the water of his shower in the Radwaniyah Palace Complex in Baghdad. His death is among 18 electrocutions in Iraq since 2003, records show.

Papers filed by KBR’s Pittsburgh counsel, attorney Joseph Luciana III, include an e-mail from an Army investigator who said a KBR plumber admitted installing the pump atop Maseth’s living quarters.

However, Heather Browne, director of corporate communications for KBR, refuted that allegation Thursday in an e-mailed statement to the Tribune-Review that read, “Based on our current information, KBR did not install or work on the pump motor.”

The statement added that “installation of the pump that failed was done properly and was not the cause of Sgt. Maseth’s death. There is no evidence to suggest otherwise.”

Earlier this week, KBR representatives told the Tribune-Review editorial board that electrical maintenance work on Maseth’s building did not fall under the firm’s contractual responsibilities prior to his electrocution.

Mark Lowes, KBR’s vice president for litigation, said KBR did “no work on the pump that shorted and led to Maseth’s death.” Lowes and Chris Heinrich, KBR’s vice president and senior counsel for government and infrastructure, and Jill Pettibone, senior vice president for operational excellence government and infrastructure, said U.S. military personnel use many facilities that contain substandard wiring installed by Iraqis during the reign of Saddam Hussein.

Nevertheless, an e-mail from an Army investigator to Maseth’s mother, Cheryl Harris, suggests otherwise. It also labels the soldier’s death as a case of “negligent homicide.”

Luciana included the investigator’s message in court exhibits related to a wrongful death lawsuit filed against KBR by Harris and the soldier’s father, Douglas Maseth.

The Dec. 16 e-mail from Amber A. Wojnar, special agent in charge of the Camp Slayer Criminal Investigation Division Office, informed Harris that “a Filipino plumber admitted to installing the pump on the roof during the previous KBR project in 2006. So, it was in fact conducted during KBR’s time at RPC, and was not a byproduct of Iraqi engineering as previously alleged.”

Wojnar indicated that several other soldiers who reported being shocked in the building said they submitted work orders to KBR for repairs and that KBR workers responded to their complaints and fixed the problems.

She told Harris, “I dispatched a supplemental report a few minutes ago titling two KBR supervisors and KBR itself for the offense of negligent homicide, as it pertains to your son. We have changed the manner of death from accidental to negligent homicide.”

Wojnar wrote that she believes “there is credible information that their negligence led to Ryan’s death. I believe they failed to ensure that work was being done by qualified electricians and plumbers, and to inspect the work that was being conducted …”

Wojnar’s decision will be reviewed at the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) headquarters at Fort Belvoir, Va., before it can be turned over to a military court or the Department of Justice.

KBR contends that there has been no official ruling of negligent homicide in Maseth’s death because the CID has not closed its investigation. KBR, in its statement, said Wojnar “does not make the decision on the reclassification of Staff Sergeant Maseth’s death… To our knowledge, there has been no reclassification to date by those who have the authority to make this decision.”

E-mails included in court documents show the probe is continuing.

Col. Richard M. Whitaker, judge advocate, wrote to Harris on Jan. 14 that “whoever told you that CID’s decision is final spoke prematurely, because the finding is subject to a legal review.” However, he told Harris that he believed the ruling in her son’s death would be changed.

Meanwhile, U.S. District Judge Nora Barry Fischer this week struck down a motion filed by Maseth’s parents after finding that KBR did not violate a confidentiality agreement in connection with their wrongful death lawsuit.

Attorneys Stephen Del Sole and Patrick Cavanaugh, on behalf of the soldier’s parents, had asked the court to impose sanctions against KBR, claiming that KBR violated local court rules by releasing two documents to Pittsburgh media.

Robin Acton can be reached at racton@tribweb.com or 724-830-6295. (click HERE to read original article)

Ms Sparky

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