After the most recent round of KBR hearings on May 20th, the NY Times came out with an editorial (see below). It was good, but didn’t really get entertaining until Bill Bodie, Interim President of KBR responded. Pathetic attempt to redeem themselves. Just more of the same…..We didn’t do it. It’s not our fault. The media is being unfair. You got it all wrong.
Here it is. You decide.
New York Times Editorial KBR Does It Again
Published: May 23, 2009
Far from suffering for its shoddy military contracting in Iraq, Congressional investigators have found that KBR Inc. was awarded $83 million in performance bonuses. Even worse, more than half came after Pentagon investigators linked faulty KBR wiring to the electrocution of four soldiers intent on relaxation. One soldier died taking a shower and another in a swimming pool.
How such settings became part of harm’s way for the military was the question put to an electrical engineer hired by the Army who reported finding that 90 percent of KBR’s wiring work in Iraq was not done safely. Some 70,000 buildings where troops lived and worked were not up to code, according to the engineer, who told a Congressional hearing of “some of the most hazardous, worst-quality work I have ever inspected.” (Read the rest of the story here…)
I have received several emails in the last few months asking why KBR is not being investigated and prosecuted for Trafficking In Persons (TIPS) violations with regards to their own American KBR employees.
The United Nations definition of human trafficking is “The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation”.
That just screams KBR. I have to wonder if KBR actually used this definition as a model to establish their LOGCAP personnel management program.
There are COUNTLESS reports of KBR employees being subjected to threats and intimidation if they didn’t “comply”. I myself was threatened to be sent to Fallujah during the height of the conflict there if I didn’t “just shut up”! Those who know me are laughing their asses off right now. But seriously. KBR misleads you to get you over there. You are 1000’s of miles away of from home. It’s nothing like they said it would be. Most were not making close to what the recruiter promised. You get over there and find out you aren’t even working for KBR. Just as recently as last Wednesday, we heard testimony from a former electrician, who was threatened with “Chicken or Pasta?” if he didn’t do what he was told to do, and that was illegal. You have no “true” recourse against, harassment, intimidation, threats, assalt, rape, fraud or other crimes. If you do decide to quit, you are LAST priority on the manifest and could end up sitting at Camp Victory for days or longer. (Read the rest of the story here…)
Most of my “blogging time” is actually spent talking to people and forwarding them on to subject matter experts, investigators or attorney’s. I spend way more time on the phone than I do on the computer. I am just too busy to sit there and try to figure out who is specifically visiting my blog. Every now and then I look at the top 50 or so IP addresses. I recognize most as the DCMA, Senate, House, OSD, Rock Island, US District Court, Pentagon, KBR, Fluor, K&L Gates (KBR Attorney’s), Stanley Consultants, McKenna Long & Aldridge (KBR attorney’s). This list goes on and on. Then there is this one IP address that has hit my site close to 4000 times in the last few months. “Hmmmmm. Who could that be?” I ask. You got to love the internet. As my six year old grandson says “just google it”! Low and behold, this IP address belongs to none other than Pathway Forensics LLC a private investigation company from Houston that specializes in computer forensics. (Read the rest of the story here…)
Finally, a three day weekend. The Interstates are clogged with people anxiously trying to get out of town. Campgrounds and beaches are overflowing. Friends and family come together. BBQ’s are fired up and the beer is cold. The deafening roar of the Indy 500 as it gets underway. Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of Summer.
When the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) issued a Level III Corrective Action Request (CAR) to KBR on September 11, 2008 a rumor surfaced that this CAR had actually left Iraq as a Level IV and was then lowered to a Level III by DCMA in Washington DC. But there was no way for me to prove that.
The issuance of a Level IV CAR would have meant sure termination of KBR’s contract. As it should have been.
After the last hearing the Senate Democratic Policy Committee published KBR’s most recent Level III CAR on their website. I was alerted by a very observant reader to take a look at the footer in the attachments. Of the 48 attachments to this CAR, 40 of them have this in the footer:
HQ-08-LOGCAP-001 LIV
Note the “LIV”. That means Level 4. This confirms to me that this CAR in fact did leave Iraq as a Level 4 and was downgraded by the DCMA in Washington. So now I must ask why? Why would the DCMA in Washington NOT take the recommendations of those with first hand knowledge of the issue? Those who investigated and wrote the CAR in Iraq?
Would it draw attention to the complete and utter failure of the DCMA to oversee KBR’s contract?
Did the DoD think that KBR could not be replaced?
Was there some back room DoD deal that KBR could stay at all cost?
They are correct on the first point. The DCMA oversight of KBR has been a complete and utter failure from the beginning. But, they are completely wrong on the second point. KBR could have easily been replaced by a competent contractor. It was not necessary to replace every single KBR employee. Bring in new management, because that is the biggest problem. Replace every manager from the top down to the PM or Site Manger level and then go from there. You could sweeten the deal and entice managers with bonuses to ensure a smooth transition. For those who won’t cooperate, escort them out of the country in handcuffs! It might be a little confusing at first. But you would be money ahead in the long run. You would at least be making forward progress. Right now you are just throwing good money after bad. And on the third point, I’m thinking YES!
The DCMA in Washington should have paid a little more attention to detail when they downgraded the CAR and no one would have been the wiser. But, now we are and now we want to know why you are protecting KBR.
Updated May 24, 2009 8:24am PST: Click HERE to view CAR # HQ-08-LOGCAP-001 LIII Deficient Quality System – Level III Corrective Action Request, the CAR in question.
I have to say Jim Childs testimony just blew KBR out of the water. Straight to the point, no sugar coating! Some of my favorite quotes from Jim’s testimony are below.
KBR did not do this work to any electrical code. KBR now claims to have used the British code BS7671 as its code, not the NEC. If you were to use the BS 7671 standards, there would be even more KBR code violations. Army inspectors interviewed KBR workers at the time of inspections. Almost all stated they were working to meet the NEC. They did not even know the British code and had never received any training related to the British code.
KBR’s claim that they were working to the British Standard at anytime prior to the most recent Level III CAR is complete BS (and that “BS” doesn’t stand for British Standard). For the two years I worked for KBR, one year as an electrician and one year in the maintenance office I NEVER heard the term “British Standard”.
Roughly 60 percent of KBR’s electrical workers were Third Country Nationals (TCNs),many of whom had no electrical training.
Why is it that the Americans and Brits have to have an electrical license and the other 1000’s of Third Country Nationals no not. If KBR is claiming there is a low ratio of KBR electrician to TCN, that is not always the case. I have had as many as 10 or more Filipino workers. There is just no way to watch the installations of that many workers. Then there is the language barrier.
KBR’s method would add huge additional costs to their cost-plus contract and, more importantly, would add significant work time which would, in turn, delay the date by which their facilities are made safe for our soldiers.
Our government had to force KBR to use the fastest and most cost efficient bonding method and KBR continues to fight these requirements to this day. In my opinion, this is because KBR does not want to admit that it is easy to properly install the cables, which they had not done, and correct the non-code compliant installations.
This is just self explanatory. It’s all about the money! Hmmmm
KBR needs to stop taking a “lawyerly” approach toward these inspections and requirements. The company needs to do what is right, cost effective, meets the code, and protects our soldiers’ lives. We still haven’t been able to get them to do the bonding work, even though it is easy. I think they are avoiding this work because bonding was one of the electrical defects that led to the electrocution of Ryan Maseth.
I love that word “lawyerly”!! Just how many lawyers does KBR have in theater? I believe bonding and grounding deficiencies are also the cause of death for SSG Chris Everett and Navy Petty Officer David Cedergren.
KUDOS to Jim Childs and Eric Peters for their honest “no holds barred” testimony. After all these years I still am stunned at some of the things I hear.
There were so many “jaw dropping” moments during the hearing testimony it’s hard to zero in on one thing. But right now I want to talk about Eric Peters testimony. Here is a quote from his testimony that I find particularly disturbing.
Any refusal to sign off on electrical paperwork is frowned upon by the KBR management. At Al Asad Airbase, I was asked to sign off on paperwork that was incomplete. The person who had performed the initial work had not completed all of the steps necessary to ensure safe operation and installation. The electrician did not review the loop impedance by testing the entire circuit to ensure there was no fault in the grounding or reverse polarity. My KBR manager assured me that the work would be completed at a later date. But I did not believe them and I did not sign it.
Signing work off as complete or correct when it is not is called “pencil whipping”. It is fraud and I have blogged about this before. This is a common complaint among electricians in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan who are involved with the Bonding & Grounding work. People are asked, told, threatened, intimidated, harassed (pick one) to sign off on work they do not feel comfortable signing off on. Such as work they didn’t actually perform, work that is clearly incomplete, or work that is not done correctly. People who refuse to “pencil whip” are usually labeled as a problem and are “dealt with” accordingly. They are removed from the Bonding & Grounding work, they are transferred, sent home, or the electrician just quits. How many licensed electricians have been hired since August 2008 and how many of those have quit or been fired? 50%….60% If you are one of these electricians email me.
If an electrician did actually go back to finish the work at a later date, the company would have been able to charge the DoD again for work that should have already been done during the initial testing and inspection. Plus the DoD would be getting reports showing completed inspections, so DoD would believe the buildings are safe. Talking with electricians from other sites, this has become a common practice for KBR.
This is indicative of a management culture completely out of control. And, as far as I’m concerned, this is fraud on so many levels. I’ve been told on several occasions that Service Orders (SOR) or Work Requests are generated to repair the work that was signed off as complete initially but actually wasn’t. So KBR gets to maintain the manpower levels because they have all these outstanding Service Orders and Work Requests to do work that should have already been done in the first place. Well that is just stinks.
Where is the DCMA in all this? Where is the DCAA? Where is the CID? THIS IS FRAUD! How about a damn Corrective Action Request (CAR) on this!!! It’s time to ask the electricians at each camp if this is going on. I believe the majority of them will tell you the truth. I truly believe that most people want to do a good job and do the right thing. And given the opportunity, the tools, the material and adequate management I think they will.
I would love to hear from more electricians who were recently employed by KBR in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait who quit because they were not allowed to do their job or were told to “pencil whip” paperwork. This is your chance to tell your story. Leave a comment. For those still in country…..if the DoD asks you if this is going on, tell them the truth.
It just never ceases to amaze me how KBR exec’s can stand up there and say it’s not our fault. Amazing!
KBR’s chief defends electrical work in Iraq
By KIMBERLY HEFLING, Associated Press Writer Kimberly Hefling, Associated Press May 20, 2009 6:14 pm EST
WASHINGTON – The chief executive of the military contractor under scrutiny in the electrocution of U.S. troops in Iraq said Wednesday the electrical codes it used in the buildings it maintained in the war zone “were known and thought to be acceptable” by the Pentagon.
William P. Utt, the chairman of Houston-based KBR Inc. told The Associated Press in an interview that the company was not expected to meet the U.S. electrical code in a wartime environment. He said the company was striving to meet the British electrical code, which was more in line with the Iraqi electrical system.
Earlier Wednesday, Jim Childs, an electrical inspector hired by the Army to help review U.S.-run facilities in Iraq testified before the Democrats’ policy committee that 90 percent of KBR’s wiring in newly constructed buildings in Iraq was not done properly, meaning an estimated 70,000 buildings where troops lived and worked were not safe.
“When I began inspecting the electrical work performed by KBR, my co-workers and I found improper electrical work in every building we inspected,” Childs said.
Utt said KBR is working with the U.S. military to improve the wiring, now that Iraq is more stable.
“We believe the standards that we did employ were standards that were known and thought to be acceptable in an expeditionary environment,” Utt said during the interview, conducted with a group of AP reporters and editors.
“We don’t think the wiring that we installed was potentially dangerous,” he added.
Utt said KBR should be afforded a measure of protection from lawsuits over work it performs for the military.
“We are working for the government, taking a lot of instruction from the government,” Utt said. “We think there ought to be some consideration given in many of these claims to the same protections the government has from these suits that exist.”
At least three U.S. troops have been electrocuted while showering in Iraq, and others have been injured and killed in other electrical incidents. KBR, which maintains electrical work in tens of thousands of U.S. facilities in Iraq, has denied responsibility in the deaths.
In strongly worded correspondence last fall, a senior Pentagon official, David J. Graff, told KBR there were “continuing quality deficiencies” in the electrical work it performed. He said KBR executives were “not sufficiently in touch with the urgency or realities of what was actually occurring on the ground” and that some military officials had lost confidence in KBR.
Despite those concerns, KBR was awarded a new $35 million contract earlier this year for a project in Iraq that included electrical work.
Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., who chairs the policy committee, said at the hearing that evidence suggests KBR’s work was involved in some of the deaths. He said that documents show that KBR was paid $83.4 million in bonuses for electrical work in Iraq — much of it after the military’s contract management agency recognized KBR was doing shoddy electrical work.
He said $34 million in bonuses was paid to KBR three months after Green Beret Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, 24, of Pittsburgh, was electrocuted while showering in his barracks in Iraq on Jan. 2, 2008.
Maseth’s family has sued KBR, alleging wrongful death. Military criminal investigators are looking into his death and four others.
“How could it be that, given these obviously widespread problems with KBR’s electrical work, the Pentagon decided to give KBR bonuses totaling $83.4 million for such work?” Dorgan said.
In a letter Tuesday to Dorgan distributed at the hearing, Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn denied that KBR received any such bonuses for work performed after Jan. 1, 2008, and said no additional such awards will be given until a comprehensive review is conducted.
Utt said the company worked with the military on the electrical issue, and he anticipates it will again soon receive “award fees.” He said the fees are paid according to KBR’s performance on a variety of jobs, not just for the electrical work.
Childs, the inspector, worked in Iraq for the military’s Task Force SAFE, which was created last year to inspect and oversee repairs in about 90,000 U.S.-maintained facilities in Iraq. The AP previously reported that about a third of the inspections conducted have so far turned up major electrical problems. (click HERE for the original article)
I just love how efficient the Senate DPC staff is. The video and testimony are already on their site.
Click HERE to go to the Senate DPC page for the Hearing. You will find a video of the full hearing and the testimony from each witness Jim Childs, Eric Peters and Charles Smith.
My personal thanks to:
Each witness for their willingness to testify and their commitment to the safety of our troops and civilians.
The Senate Democratic Policy Committee staff for their hard work and dedication it takes to put these hearings together.
Senator Dorgan for his “unwavering committment” to exposing contractor fraud.
I will be bogging more about the witness testimony.
UPDATE: Click HERE to go to the Senate DPC site for video and written testimony.
Senate Democratic Policy Committee Hearing
“Rewarding Failure: Contractor Bonuses for Faulty Work in Iraq”
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
628 Dirksen Senate Office Building
This hearing will examine bonuses paid by the Department of Defense (DoD) to contractor KBR in 2007 and 2008, despite the company’s grossly incompetent electrical work in Iraq, which resulted in the deaths of U.S. soldiers and significant property damage caused by electrical fires. Witnesses at the hearing will describe how the company failed to hire qualified personnel, performed electrical work in a manner that continues to place our troops in grave danger, and failed to make repairs once hazards were identified. The hearing, which will be the nineteenth hearing held by the DPC on contracting abuses and corruption in Iraq, will also focus on the need to reform DoD’s fee award system.
Witnesses
James Childs: Mr. Childs, a Master Electrician hired by the Army to review KBR’s electrical work in Iraq in 2008, will testify that the electrical work performed by KBR in Iraq was the worst he has seen in his 30-year career. Mr. Childs will testify that the great majority of the buildings KBR worked on were improperly wired. He will also testify about the difficulty he had working with KBR to correct the problems.
Eric Peters: Mr. Peters, a Master Electrician, worked for KBR at Al Asad Airbase, Camp Striker, and Camp Warrior in Iraq. He worked in Iraq from February 2009 through April 2009, when he resigned in response to KBR’s disregard for safety and its inability to perform quality electrical work. Mr. Peters will testify about KBR’s poor performance, which resulted in part from the substandard, inferior materials used by the company, and the lack of qualified individuals serving in management.
Charles Smith: Mr. Smith, who managed the LOGCAP III contract for the Pentagon, was forced out of his job in 2004 when he refused to approve paying KBR more than $1 billion in questionable charges. Had Mr. Smith not been ousted from his job, he would have continued to oversee KBR’s performance under LOGCAP III. He will testify about the need to reform DoD’s award fee process. In November 2004, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld awarded Mr. Smith the Department of Defense’s Medal for Distinguished Civilian Service.
If you can’t make it to DC to watch this hearing hopefully it will be on C-SPAN. I will get the videos on Ms Sparky as soon as possible.
My personal thanks to Senator Dorgan, chairman of the Senate DPC, for his true “unwavering commitment” to the safety of our soldiers and civilians and financial responsibility to US taxpayers. Also…a big thanks to Holly and Leslie who made it all happen!!
(Is anyone else seeing the resemblance between Dr. Bob Kelso and KBR’s Bill Utt?)
For anyone who follows the media coverage of KBR’s alleged “misdeeds”, you must be familiar with KBR’s Director of Communications, Ms. Heather Browne. Ms. Browne is the one responsible for making those ridiculous comments to the media that leave most of us who have worked for KBR wondering if she’s even talking about the same company!!
I think the Human “8-ball” theory is really the only thing that can adequately explain these crazy media statements made by Ms. Browne. Below are some of KBR’s more notorious statements gathered by myself and readers. If you have not worked for KBR you may not find the irony in them. I have made every attempt to get the quote accurate as per “googling” it. If you find an inaccurate quote please let me know.
“KBR’s commitment to the safety of all employees and those the company serves remains unwavering.”
“when KBR has discovered wrongdoing of any sort by an employee, we have swiftly reported it to the government”…
“KBR remains committed to providing high-quality service to our customer and conducting our business with ethics and integrity.”
“KBR does not in any way condone or tolerate illegal or unethical behavior,”…
“Ethics and integrity are core values for KBR”
“KBR is a leader in workplace safety, and maintaining that commitment is the company’s top priority,”…
The “company conducts its operations in a manner that is compliant with the terms of the contract.” She added that it had not engaged in any improper behavior…
By Star-Bulletin Staff and News Services
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, May 13, 2009
A former Schofield Barracks senior enlisted soldier is facing federal charges that he took thousands of dollars in kickbacks from a civilian contractor when he handled Army purchasing and supply functions in Iraq.
A federal grand jury returned a secret indictment last month charging Ronald Joseph Radcliffe with mail and wire fraud, bribery and money laundering. A federal magistrate judge in Honolulu unsealed the indictment after the FBI arrested Radcliffe in Georgia.
He returned to Hawaii this month and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Radcliffe was a master sergeant assigned to Schofield’s 2nd Brigade as the noncommissioned officer of supply in Kirkuk from January 2004 to February 2005.
According to the indictment, Radcliffe accepted money from Metin Subasi, a Turkish national, in exchange for steering Army contracts to several of Subasi’s companies. He then mailed the cash to his girlfriend in Hawaii and instructed her to deposit the money in the bank in small increments so as not to draw attention from the Internal Revenue Service.
Radcliffe mailed the cash in boxes containing DVDs and CDs, according to the indictment. In September 2004 he also transported some of the money himself when he traveled to Hawaii and deposited it in a joint checking account with his girlfriend, identified by the initials V.M. Radcliffe’s girlfriend is not charged with any crimes.
Radcliffe now works for defense contractor KBR in Afghanistan, in a job similar to the one he had in the Army when he was in Iraq, said Marshall Silverberg, assistant U.S. attorney.
After Radcliffe’s plea, U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Chang granted his request to get his passport back from the FBI so he can return to his job in Afghanistan. To assure his return for trial, Chang required Radcliffe to waive opposition to extradition and ordered him to put up his home in Tennessee as a security bond.
Silverberg is appealing Chang’s order because he said if Radcliffe chooses not to return, “It is nearly impossible to bring someone back from Afghanistan for civilian extradition.”
He said the FBI is taking steps to revoke Radcliffe’s security clearance, which would prevent him from performing his job in Afghanistan.
Radcliffe said he can still do his job without a security clearance.
The government has until Friday to appeal Chang’s order to a U.S. district judge. (click HERE for the original article)
That very well could be “former” KBR Deputy Logistics Director for Afghanistan because he is not longer showing up in company directory. Now, I must ask THE question “Just what kinds of “dasterdly deeds” was he involved with since he started working for KBR over three years ago?” I’m sure he didn’t just all of a sudden get a conscience and grow some integrity. I hope the DoDIG, the CID, the DCMA, the DCAA, the FBI and EVERYONE is looking into his activities while employed for KBR.
If you have ANY information about Deputy Logistics Director for Afghanistan Ronald Radcliffe click HERE.
This is kinda long, but well worth the read. This is what we have been asking for. Investors holding KBR accountable! I wrote another post recently on this subject Not In The Best Interest Of KBR Or It’s Stockholders
Institutional Investor Sues Halliburton and Former KBR Unit, Alleging Litany of Misdeeds and Government Fines Has Damaged Shareholders
Complaint by Detroit police and firefighter pension fund names both companies’ boards – including former Vice President Dick Cheney; says recklessness and lack of oversight enabled pervasive malfeasance by KBR employees; resulting fines and lawsuits harmed companies and shareholders; case filed in Texas state court
NEW YORK and HOUSTON, May 14 /PRNewswire/ — In what is believed to be the first legal action brought by shareholders against oilfield services provider Halliburton Company (NYSE: HAL) and its one-time subsidiary KBR, Inc. (NYSE: KBR), a municipal pension fund has filed a lawsuit alleging that poor oversight and lack of internal controls at the two companies enabled a pervasive environment of misdeed and corruption, resulting in enforcement actions and substantial government penalties that have severely damaged investors’ holdings.
The complaint, brought by the Policemen and Firemen Retirement System of Detroit, catalogs a litany of wrongdoing by KBR, including massive waste and overbilling of services provided to American forces in Iraq; bribery in Nigeria to win government contracts; and multiple instances of fraud, corruption, and misconduct in both its domestic and foreign operations.
Shareholders accuse Halliburton’s board of directors of breach of fiduciary duty in failing to rein in years of shoddy business practices and criminal activity that resulted in massive fines, penalties and settlements paid to the federal government.
According to the complaint, the full extent of misdeeds was successfully hidden by the two firms until KBR was spun off as an independent company in 2006. The shareholder suit, which covers the period both before and after the spinoff, was filed in a Texas state court by leading shareholder and corporate governance law firm Grant & Eisenhofer, along with noted plaintiffs’ counsel The Lanier Law Firm in Houston.
Named as defendants are 32 former and current directors of Halliburton and KBR — the majority of the companies’ two boards — including ex-Vice President Dick Cheney, former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger, and Robert Crandall, past president and chairman of American Airlines.
The complaint states, “As fiduciaries … the Halliburton defendants were required to exercise prudent supervision over the management, policies, practices, controls, and financial and corporate affairs of Halliburton and KBR, which Halliburton controlled.” The plaintiffs are asking for a jury trial and intend to seek damages.
Largest Criminal Fines Ever in an FCPA Action tied to Nigeria
Following a series of U.S. government investigations and lawsuits, Halliburton and KBR have paid more than $650 million in fines, penalties, and settlements — including the largest fine ever assessed by the U.S. Commerce Department and the largest settlement ever paid by U.S. companies for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
This past February, KBR pleaded guilty to bribing Nigerian officials and to violations of the FCPA, while both KBR and Halliburton settled related civil suits with the Securities and Exchange Commission. KBR’s payment of some $579 million in criminal fines and penalties is believed to be the largest payment ever made by a U.S. company in settling an FCPA enforcement action. Earlier, the SEC penalized Halliburton $7.5 million for improper accounting practices that led to the company distributing materially misleading financial statements.
Former KBR Chairman Albert Stanley is serving seven years in prison for orchestrating the bribery scheme in Nigeria and receiving kickbacks. Other KBR employees pleaded guilty to accepting kickbacks or attempting to defraud the U.S. government, as well as conspiracy and bribery, and several have served prison time.
In 2006 KBR settled government contentions that it overcharged for services to peacekeeping troops in Kosovo and violated the U.S. False Claims Act by, among other things, double-billing and inflating prices of products and services.
Iraq Contracts Singled Out as “Textbook Example of Corporate Irresponsibility”
In 2007 the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction found widespread waste, mismanagement, improper documentation, and lack of oversight by KBR relating to services to American forces in Iraq, specifically regarding meals, dining facilities, and fuel imports. The two companies had already earned notorious reputations on Capitol Hill, where New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg, who serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee, commented, “Halliburton’s record of overcharging, bribery, and accounting fraud recites like a textbook example of corporate irresponsibility.” In 2007 the General Accounting Office recommended that a contract awarded to KBR be reconsidered.
Other incidents detailed in the complaint have previously led to government investigations and raised serious questions about Halliburton and KBR’s fitness and commitment to serve American military personnel in Iraq. KBR employees admitted that troops were provided untreated and untested water from the Euphrates River. On another occasion, a KBR truck used to store corpses was later put in service to deliver ice to troops — a clear violation of U.S. Army regulations even if the truck had been cleaned, which it had not.
The U.S. Justice Department is currently investigating Halliburton for possible illegal transactions with Iran through the company’s Cayman Islands subsidiary.
The complaint concludes, “The myriad crimes and wrongdoings discussed above simply could not have happened if Defendants were doing their jobs. As officers and directors of the Companies, the Defendants were required to ensure that the Companies’ internal controls were in place, functioning properly, and sufficiently strong to prevent it from committing wrongful or illegal acts.”
Turning a Blind Eye to Companies’ Lapses
Grant & Eisenhofer managing partner Jay Eisenhofer said of the allegations: “The wrongdoing by the boards of directors of Halliburton and KBR transcends negligence to a realm of pure recklessness — a conscious decision not to do anything about a persistent pattern of misconduct on the part of KBR employees. If ever a board failed in its basic duties of oversight, this case sets a new standard.”
Mr. Eisenhofer noted that the company’s transgressions were accompanied by extensive, and highly publicized, government investigations, lawsuits, fines, guilty pleas, and even jailings of KBR officials.
“And yet the boards of both companies — stacked with some of the most famous names in American business — turned a blind eye,” he added. “What some KBR employees did, with the knowledge and understanding of the boards of directors, can only be described as willful disregard for corporate oversight that has tarnished the reputations and prospects of these companies. Shareholders have a duty and responsibility to speak out and to demand compensation for the longtime tacit approval of such wrongdoing.” (click HERE for original article)
From the office of Oregon State Rep. Chip Shields: Click HERE for the original.
National Guard soldiers testify on toxic chemical exposure.
Kellog, Brown and Root alleged to have “disregarded and downplayed the extreme danger of wholesale site contamination” in Iraq.
HB 3480 would provide funds to Guard members who develop cancer as a result of exposure to hexavalent chromium at facility.
Salem, Ore. – Representative Chip Shields (D-N/NE Portland) announced today that the House Committee on Elections, Ethics and Rules will hear from several members of the Oregon National Guard on Wednesday, May 13 who were exposed to the toxic industrial compound hexavalent chromium while serving in Iraq.
The soldiers will be testifying in support of House Bill 3480, which would authorize the Oregon Military Department to make payments to members of Oregon National Guard who develop cancer as a result of their exposure to hexavalent chromium.
“This bill is about standing up for our soldiers and their families,” said Rep Shields. “Passing this bill is a very modest recognition of their pain and sacrifice.”
In 2003, Oregon and Indiana Guard Members were assigned to protect Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR) employees who were rebuilding a water treatment plant outside of Basra, Iraq. Soldiers reportedly saw large amounts of an orange-colored dust that contained hexavalent chromium on the ground and covering the pipes in the water treatment plant. Exposure to small amounts of hexavalent chromium has shown a high increase the risk of leukemia as well as lung, stomach, brain, renal, bladder and bone cancers. Three Oregon National Guard members who were exposed have already contracted cancer.
A group of Indiana Guard Members began a lawsuit against KBR in February of last year claiming the contractor “disregarded and downplayed” the seriousness of the contamination.
Hearing details:
Date: Wednesday-May 13
Time: 3:00 P.M.
Room: HR 50
Where: State Capitol Building
For more information, see this article in The Oregonian.
Well….well….well…. Bodie’s writing letters again. Boo hoo….The Wartime Contracting Commission is not being fair. I seem to remember that KBR has been invited to many many hearings and did not care to attend. And now that the heat is on, they are all about being participative. KBR…how does that feel to be treated in a way you feel is unfair? Sucks doesn’t it? Welcome to the world of a KBR LOGCAP employee! Click HERE to read his letter
Contractor protests ‘biased’ treatment at hearing
By RICHARD LARDNER – May 13, 2009
WASHINGTON (AP) — KBR Inc., a major military contractor whose fees have generated criticism, says it was subjected to “judgmental and biased” treatment by a special panel investigating waste and fraud in war spending.
The May 4 hearing held by the bipartisan Wartime Contracting Commission was a one-sided affair that unfairly trashed the company’s reputation, according to William Bodie, KBR’s interim president for government and infrastructure.
“The hallmark of any serious evaluative body should be a rigorous and unbiased commitment to collecting data and perspectives prior to the assemblage of conclusions,” Bodie wrote in a May 12 letter to commission leaders.
Formed by Congress last year, the eight-member commission has broad authority to examine military support contracts, reconstruction projects and private security companies. The May 4 hearing was its second public session as it works to complete an interim report next month. A final report is due in 2010.
KBR was not invited to testify at the hearing. Nor did company representatives ask to testify, Michael Thibault, co-chair of the commission, said Wednesday. KBR was asked to provide a written statement and did. (Click HERE to read written statement)
The Army, which manages the so-called LOGCAP contract that has paid KBR nearly $32 billion since 2001, had two senior contracting officials at the witness table.
Commission members have met with KBR on multiple occasions before the hearing, in the U.S. and in Iraq and Afghanistan, and will continue to do so, Thibault said.
KBR, along with an extensive network of subcontractors, provides U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kuwait with dining facilities, transportation, sanitation systems, warehouses and other critical services.
Thibault said if KBR representatives had been asked to speak at the hearing, the panel would also have had to invite several other companies. The hearing format was intended to be a single panel of government witnesses, he said.
“Differences of opinion are inevitable,” Thibault said of KBR’s objections and the commission’s mission.
April Stephenson, director of the Defense Contract Audit Agency, also testified and commissioners used her remarks to criticize KBR.
Since 2004, Stephenson said her office has submitted 32 reports of suspected fraud or improper conduct on contracts to government investigators. The “vast majority” of those referrals stemmed from the KBR contract.
She called the number of referrals “unprecedented” for a single military contract or program. But she declined to give details on those reports or name the sources of the alleged improprieties.
She also said her agency has conducted dozens of audits on the KBR contract and has challenged about $4.7 billion in costs charged by the company, she said.
Bodie said one commissioner — he doesn’t provide a name — said the fraud referrals included “bribery and kickbacks and so forth.” Bodie says there was no way for the commissioner to know this because Stephenson provided no specifics.
Bodie said “it is impossible for an observer to determine the gravity of any referral, the strength of the evidence behind it, or even whether any such investigation was or is active.”
The commission, formed by Congress last year, is styled after the Truman Committee, which examined World War II spending.
The commission is a long way from matching the record of the Truman Committee, which held 432 hearings and issued 51 reports between 1941 and 1948, according to Bodie. By comparison, he said the commission has held two hearings and issued zero reports.
“And given the bias expressed toward KBR, the conclusions made with a slim evidentiary record, and the narrow focus, it is hard to recognize the Truman Committee in this current effort,” Bodie wrote.
The commission responded to Bodie’s swipe by e-mailing the AP a quote from Harry Truman, who chaired the World War II oversight committee as a Missouri senator.
“I have had considerable experience in letting public contracts,” Truman said more than six decades ago, “and I have never yet found a contractor who, if not watched, would not leave the government holding the bag.”
On the Net:
I’ve heard this is a great book and have been intending to buy it but didn’t know when I’d have the time to read it. I was notified this morning that quotes from the testimony of witnesses from the Senate Democratic Policy Committee hearing for July 11, 2008 are in the book. This was the first hearing held on soldier electrocutions and shoddy electrical work. Cheryl Harris, Larraine McGee, Rachel McNeil, Jeff Bliss and myself testified at this hearing. I guess I have to buy the book now!! Below the book cover is a link to Amazon.com.
(At the end of this article are a some of my personal experiences with KBR and potentially contaminated water.)
Some US soldiers forced to steal water in Iraq
Rations and problems trigger desperate measures to survive intense heat
10:54 PM CDT on Monday, May 11, 2009
By Jeremy Rogalski / 11 News Defenders
HOUSTON — Take Houston’s heat on a miserable summer day and add 40 degrees, making temperatures 130 or more.
Next, add an extra 100 pounds of life-protecting gear to your body: bulletproof vests, guns and ammunition.
And then imagine not having enough water around to drink.
Click HERE to watch the video coverage of this article.
Stories of short supplies have haunted the U.S. military throughout the war in Iraq—things like inadequate body armor or unshielded Hummers. But while many soldiers say they had good access to water and even Gatorade, the 11 News Defenders discovered that others, stationed all over the country and during all phases of this desert war, say something else was often missing.
“We were rationed two bottles of water a day,” said Army Staff Sgt. Dustin Robey, referring to 1 to 1.5 liter bottles.
And he said that wasn’t nearly enough.
“You’ll see guys throw up, you’ll see them pass out,” he said.
Robey said it started early on in the war, and that he and other soldiers are paying the price to this day. In 2003, he said soldiers were given what was the equivalent of only a half gallon of water to survive on a day—all while dodging bullets in the blistering heat.
“We were on missions, I ran out of water,” Robey said.
That’s no surprise. According to an Army Fort Bragg training document on preventing heat casualties in desert climates, water losses can reach 15 liters, or four gallons, per day per soldier. Additionally, Survival, a 1957 Department of the Army field manual, states “in hot deserts, you need a minimum of one gallon (of water) per day” just to survive.
So Robey said his company were forced to improvise.
“We were inside a house, I’d stick my head under the faucet and drink,” he said.
But Iraqi water is often untreated and can cause intestinal sickness.
“We had a real rash of dysentery go through my company. I’d say 50 to 60 guys got it,” Robey said.
But what about getting water from the mobile water treatment trucks the military refers to as “water buffaloes”?
A number of soldiers told 11 News that it was often difficult to locate those trucks in the field, partly because they say there was a shortage of them. In addition, many soldiers claim that a lot of the water dispensed by those trucks was so heavily treated with chemicals that “no one could keep it down.”
Robey said eventually they became desperate.
“It really hit me the day I was with my commander and we’re stealing water,” Robey said, describing how they raided supplies at the Baghdad International Airport.
To get there, they had to take one of the riskiest routes in Iraq at that time, riddled with road bombs and roadside insurgents.
But they reached the airport and found plenty of water. It was in the hands of civilian contractors, who Robey claims were supposed to be distributing it to soldiers.
“You just had pallets upon pallets upon pallets of (bottled) water,” Robey said.
Water shortages continued in other parts of Iraq at other locations too, according to other soldiers. Private Bryan Hannah recalled a troubling situation in 2007:
Private Hannah: “My sergeant told my lieutenant we didn’t have enough water and he said go find some.”
11 News: “What does ‘go find some’ mean?”
Private Hannah: “It means ‘if you don’t want to die, then go find some water.’”
Hannah and fellow soldiers did just that, finding it once again at a civilian contractor facility.
“We’d just run out and start grabbing cases of water and start throwing them in the gunner’s hatch,” said Hannah.
“This sounds like something that definitely needs to be looked into,” said Dr. Stephen Fadem, a kidney specialist with Kidney Associates PLLC, who also teaches at the Veterans Administration.
“If soldiers are saying that they are not getting adequate water, that needs to be taken seriously,” Dr. Fadem said.
In the short term, Fadem said you could collapse, and in the long term, “they may end up with kidney injury.”
The same training document from Fort Bragg details those very health concerns. It states chronic dehydration is associated with kidney stones, urinary infection, rectal afflictions and skin problems.
“This can be very challenging,” said Dr. Fadem.
But 11 News identified another problem with water in Iraq—dirty water in sinks and showers soldiers used.
“I mean it’s yellow, and it’s filthy,” said Sgt. Casey J. Porter.
Porter, an aspiring filmmaker, took video footage of rust-colored water from faucets at Camp Taji in 2008. By that time in the war, Taji appeared less like a war zone and more like a mall.
“You can eat Subway, Burger King, you can buy a $1,200 Oakley watch, but you can’t have clean water to brush your teeth with, what’s the real priority here,” Sgt. Porter said.
Turns out, at many similar bases, the water was supposed to be processed by Houston-based company KBR. In an internal KBR report, the company sites “massive programmatic issues” with water for personal hygiene dating back to 2005. It outlines how there was no formalized training for anyone involved with water operations, and one camp, Ar Ramadi, had no disinfection for shower water whatsoever.
“That water was two to three times as contaminated as the water out of the Euphrates River,” said former KBR employee Ben Carter.
Carter, a water purification specialist, was the one to blow the whistle on it all. He said he first noticed a problem when he found a live maggot in a base toilet at Camp Ar Ramadi. He subsequently discovered that instead of using chlorinated water, the soldiers’ sinks and showers were pouring out untreated wastewater.
“You’re standing in what’s essentially a sauna of microorganisms. Your eyes, ears, anyplace there’s a cut, a person would be at risk of containing a pathogen,” Carter said.
But when he wanted to inform U.S. forces, Carter said KBR supervisors gave him a verbal lashing.
“The military is none of your f-ing concern, uh, which was shocking to me,” Carter said.
11 News asked military officials about the water problems in Iraq. In a statement by the Multi-National Force in Iraq press office states: “We have a proven system that works. Commanders at all levels do their utmost to provide the necessary resources required to sustain the force.”
KBR in a statement, told 11 News a Department of Defense Inspector General report concluded “KBR has (since) satisfied applicable water standards,” adding that “the DoD has not found any illness which it attributes to water in Iraq.”
But tell that to Staff Sgt. Dustin Robey.
“I take 26 different types of pills a day,” Robey said. “I’ve had kidney stones, almost on a daily basis.”
He said he’s passed hundreds of them since returning from Iraq.
“It feels like someone’s stabbing you in the side just over and over and over again,” Robey said.
He blames the lack of, and quality of water for his poor health, and the hardest part of it all is the toll it’s taken on his family.
“There’s days when I can’t go out and play with my children outside, I’m in that much pain,” Robey said.
As for his military career? It’s over. The Army forced him to retire because of his condition and slashed his pay to the point where is family is staring at foreclosure and has moved in with relatives.
The former staff sergeant’s only hope? That the next time our country does it the right way. And Afghanistan, is just around the corner.
“If we can’t provide enough water, enough materials for guys to get through the day, to where they don’t have long-term effects for guys like myself, then why even fight the war,” Robey said.
Now again, many other soldiers told us a different story: That they had no problem getting enough drinkable water. However, we found that the differing experiences seemed to have a great deal to do with when the soldier was deployed there, what part of the country he was in, and what his assignment was.
Either way, kidney stones have become such a widespread problem among the troops that the military has set up a medical treatment center in Iraq to treat them. (End of article. Click HERE for the original article)
My personal experiences and observations with regard to water:When I first landed in the Green Zone on July 26, 2004, I was basically dropped off on the corner, some guys that happened to be standing there, pointed me in the direction of HR and Billeting (housing). It was about 130 degrees, I hadn’t slept more than a couple hours in the last three days. All I wanted was a shower and a bed. I was assigned to a room in the barracks. Three bunk beds in a room with a bathroom and shower room at the end of the hall. I stood under the shower for what seemed like hours. I remember I couldn’t get the water cool enough. I had all the hot water off and the cold water was still warm. It didn’t take me too long to figure that out. The heat of the day warms the cold water in the pipes. There is no cold water in Iraq during the summer!!
The bathrooms were clean enough and it didn’t occur to me to ask if the water was potable (drinkable). There were no signs that it wasn’t, so I showered, brushed my teeth and drank the water….for about two weeks. NO ONE told me the water in the entire Green Zone was Baghdad City water and NOT POTABLE!!! There was one ROWPU (water purification unit) at Camp Prosperity in the Green Zone. I think that water was used for the DFAC (dining facilities) and making ice. About two weeks later I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth with tap water and someone else came in with a bottle of water. They started brushing their teeth with it and asked why I was using that “nasty” tap water. When she got done telling me everything that was in the water, Hepatitis, Cholera, Typhoid, and who knows what else, I though I was going to throw up. I was PISSED!!! I went to Safety and HR and demanded to know why I was never told. Why there were no warning signs in the bathrooms. I was told they weren’t going to put up signs because they didn’t want to make a big deal about it and freak people out. They knew I would find out about it sooner or later. “What?” I was stunned at the apparent lack of concern and total disregard for the safety of not only KBR employees but the client as well. I put up signs in our bathroom to inform other new people, they were taken down and I got reprimanded. This was my FIRST clear example of just how much KBR didn’t care about their employees or their safety. Sometime in 2006 a State Department employee was in the Green Zone on a short visit. When she realized she was brushing her teeth in Tigres River water she raised hell. Then all of a sudden, signs went up everywhere!! Go figure. So for at least two years that I know of, hundreds of thousands of State Department, Defense Department, US soldiers, other DoD contractors, KBR, and virtually every coalition country was brushing their teeth and showering in Tigres River Water also known as Baghdad City water!
Now let’s talk about the bottled water for a minute. Pallets of over priced bottled water was allowed to sit in full sun. With no protection from the elements. It would sit there and boil until the seals broke. You had to inspect each bottle to make sure it wasn’t cloudy or that the seal was in tact. So much bottled water was being wasted because of exposure. Some time in 2006 I think, a water storage facility was established. Just a tin roof over pallets. I asked time and time again why the US didn’t have their own bottling plant in Iraq. I think that would have been just too cost effective.
Here is a Ben Carter video talking about the water issues in Iraq. Ben Carter is suing Halliburton/KBR for not providing the troops and civilians the drinking water they were being paid to provide. Click HERE to read that suit.
War….started by few and fought by many. If there is anything good to come from war, it’s the reaffirmation in the goodness of mankind. That may sound like some kind of crazy contradiction, but from beneath the smoldering rubble of broken hearts drowning in the tears of lost loved ones, there are some who are compelled to rise up and honor those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom. I want to tell you about one such person, portrait artist Michael G. Reagan founder of FallenHeroesProject.org. A project Michael has called “the most important thing I’ve ever done in my life. This project reached into my chest and touched a part of my heart that I really didn’t think existed”.
Michael G. Reagan is a world renowned portrait artist from Edmonds, Washington. He has created over 11,0000 portraits, more than 1500 for celebrities, professional athletes, US Presidents and other Heads of State. But more importantly, he has created over 1700 portraits of US Soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. (Click HERE to view some portraits)
Michael has committed to drawing the portrait of every US Soldier killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is his gift to the families and is given free of charge. Michael draws two portraits per day. Learning and caring about each soldier as he does so. He truly believes the soldier is with him. Helping him to get it just right. At the current number of 4284 Fallen Heroes and if not one more Soldier dies, and at the rate of two portraits per day and subtracting the 1700 already completed, Michael will have to draw every day for next 3 1/2 years.
If you ever wondered if one person can make a difference, just asked the thousands of family members of Fallen Soldiers who have received the selfless gift of love from Michael. Before I get to the video links, I would like to implore you to donate any amount to the project to pay for shipping and art supplies. Please give for Mother’s Day so that every Gold Star Mom may receive this gift. Click HERE to donate. A little corporate Karma might be in order here.
This first video clip is from a February 2007 Seattle Rotary Meeting. It is 25 unedited compelling minutes of Michael talking about his experience with the Fallen Heroes Project. Click HERE to watch and change your life forever. (get a tissue)
Click HERE to watch an amazingly powerful 3 minute MSNBC clip from September 2006.
If you have a portrait of your Fallen Hero from Michael that you would like to share, please send a photo and I will share it with my readers. If you can, tell us how it has impacted your life.
If you have a Fallen Hero and want to request a portrait click HERE.
I have been trying to write this post about Michael for quite some time. But sometimes I get “stuck” in the fighting and the anger that is DoD corporate fraud affecting our troops and civilians in the Middle East. You can’t write about Michael G. Reagan while you are stuck in “anger”. Thanks Michael for helping me get “unstuck” if only for a moment.
Here is KBR’s most recent Blue Border Alert (Threat). It never ceases to amaze me to what lengths KBR will go when trying to keep their employees under control. Threats and intimidation seem to be KBR’s default MO. I can wee why they are panicking. Every time we turn around, they are in the news and it’s not good. This last spanking they got from the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan after the scathing testimony from April G. Stephenson, director of the Defense Contract Audit Agency must have really shook them up a little. All those high paid KBR attorney’s must be scrambling to earn their money!!
I have attached the original Blue Border Alert HERE. But I have pasted the text below and I would be remiss if I didn’t post my personal opinions on this not so veiled attempt to get KBR employees past and present to “shut the hell up”!
Reminder of KBR Policy and United States Law Prohibiting
Unauthorized Disclosure of Company Information
May 8, 2009
All employees, directors and agents are reminded that unauthorized disclosure of KBR confidential, proprietary or material non-public information outside of KBR may violate Company policy and applicable United States law. I’m sure it violates some KBR company policy, if not today then tomorrow knowing how malleable KBR policies are. It appears they apply only when it’s to the advantage of the enforcing manager. But…United States Law?? That’s curious. So…informing Federal Agencies or Congressional members MAY violate US Law? Interesting! Or is just when they don’t inform them via KBR? It is common knowledge that could be a serious job jeopardy situation.
KBR policies, such as Corporate Policy 3-0008, “Information of a Confidential or Proprietary Nature,” explicitly prohibit the unauthorized disclosure of company information of a confidential or proprietary nature outside the Company either during or after employment. First, KBR decides what they think is Confidential and Proprietary. Right now, with all the attorneys, and Government agencies biting at their ass, THAT’S EVERYTHING!! I seriously doubt that just because KBR makes it a corporate policy, that makes it legal. If someone is aware of wrongdoing or contract violations and know that disclosing this to KBR would put their jobs at risk, they have an obligation to the taxpayers to go to a Federal Agency. With or without KBR’s blessing. Just how many people have been fired, transferred or harassed into quitting after reporting wrong doing to KBR? I have a stack of stories!! And as far as “after employment” goes…..let me just speak for myself! KISS OFF!
Furthermore, under Corporate Policy 3-0009, “Use and Public Disclosure of Material Nonpublic Information,” no LOGCAP III employee in possession of material non-public information may provide other people with such information. Violation of Company policy will constitute grounds for disciplinary action, including, when appropriate, termination of employment. Oh no…not the “up to and including termination” threat again!
Not only would disclosure of KBR confidential, proprietary or material non-public information outside of KBR violate Company policy, such disclosure may also violate United States law. For example, a violation of United States federal insider trading laws can expose a person to criminal fines of up to $5 million and imprisonment for up to 20 years, in addition to substantial civil penalties. Moreover, disclosure of KBR trade secrets under United States federal economic espionage laws could subject a person to criminal fines up to $5 million and up to 10 years imprisonment. Oh that’s just bullshit. There is no insider information. EVERYONE knows KBR is under investigation for just about everything including homicide. We don’t really care about KBR trade secrets. Just alleged crimes and DoD contract fraud. That’s all. We could give a shit less if KBR bribed some Nigerian official. We don’t care. But we do care if they killed or injured soldiers or civilians do to shoddy work!! We do care if KBR is fostering human trafficking. We do care if KBR knowingly exposed troops and civilians to hexavalent chromium. To get those issues resolved, I will gladly go to prison!! Oh and good luck collecting that 5 mil… Nice intimidation tactic though! But your average American employee is pretty smart and I’ll bet they call “bullshit”!
LOGCAP III employees are well-advised to treat any unofficial invitation or plea – regardless of the source – to disclose KBR confidential, proprietary or material non-public information (including internal company communiqués or messages) outside of KBR as posing a grave threat to KBR and its employees. It is a safe bet the requestor is not motivated to protect the best interests of individual LOGCAP III employees. “grave threat to KBR and its employees”….No. KBR is it’s own biggest threat to itself and it’s employees. If they would spend as much effort to just do it right the first time as they do trying to cover their tracks, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. As for “the requestor is not motivated to protect the best interests of individual LOGCAP III employees” that is where you are mistaken. This requestor is! I don’t even recall where I get info from, must be old age.
Nothing in this reminder is to be construed as prohibiting or discouraging disclosure of appropriate information to duly authorized, official U.S. Government entities and agents. Such authorized disclosures should be accomplished though KBR’s applicable policies, practices and/or protocols. Again, there is the whole “KBR is involved with the process…thing” KBR is notorious for being a threatening, intimidating, vengeful, company. Most people who have involved them in the reporting process, would never do it again.
Employees aware of any request from an unofficial source for disclosure of KBR confidential, proprietary or material non public information outside of KBR, or who are aware of any such disclosure, should contact Project Management, the LOGCAP III Legal Department or the Company’s Ethics Hotline. That is a stupid statement. Anyone who reads this blog knows that I request information all the time. It’s in my blog. It’s a standing request. So what do you want these people to do? Is this one of KBR’s “set ups”? Are they to line up at the PM’s door? “Ms Sparky is asking for more info.” So then you fire the ones who don’t line up at the door!
I do want to make sure I am clear on this. You’re saying that KBR employees can’t go directly to the CID to report a crime? They can’t go directly to the DCMA to report contract abuses? They can’t go directly to the DoD Inspector General? I wonder if these agencies know that? I’ll bet they do now.
And are you going to put up a bounty to encourage people to NARC on their buddies!! You should. That would be very very KBRish!
KBR, your preverbially “tit is in the wringer” don’t blame it on your “front line”employees, you know, the ones who actually do the work. It’s your own doing! I totally understand why you would not want ANY info getting out to the media or the DCMA or the DoDIG, or Congress or plaintiff attorney’s or or or………………. it’s JAIL TIME and $$$$$$$$$! What a motivator! To bad the safety of our troops and civilians don’t appear to be as important to you!
War….started by few and fought by many. If there is anything good to come from war, it’s the reaffirmation in the goodness of mankind. That may sound like some kind of crazy contradiction, but from beneath the smoldering rubble of broken hearts drowning in the tears of lost loved ones, there are some who are compelled to rise up and honor those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom. I want to tell you about one such person, portrait artist