Employees can’t transfer without offer and BMI of less than 40

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In a recent email to KBR employees in Iraq it was made clear that KBR’s III contract employees WILL NOT transfer to KBR’s new contract without an offer. If  that offer is accepted by the employee they must then undergo medical and security screening. As Scooby Do would say….”Ruh Roh!” In walks that damn BMI (Body Mass Index) of 40  and a (real ?) background check.  I think the majority of applicants will be able to pass a security background check. and I can understand how that BMI would have some people stressing. Out of curiosity, I just did my own BMI calculation and I am surprisingly under the dreaded 40. No one is more shocked about that than I am!!

Below are visual examples of BMI’s over and under 40. Please note which one is sleeping with Barbie!!

BMI more than 40

BMI less than 40

I understand there is a lot of animosity and frustration towards the DoD’s BMI requirement. “I wasn’t too fat to do my job yesterday but today I am.”  In all seriousness, having a BMI of more than 40 is very unhealthy and is something you might seriously consider correcting especially if you want to stay employed on LOGCAP IV. Don’t try to kill yourself by fasting and overdosing on hydroxycut just to reach an acceptable  BMI! That’s insane. Be sensible.

As for the criminal check….I expect there will be some demobing going on before those need to be filled out.

Is KBR going to do there own screening? Hmmmm. Does any else have a problem with that? Are they going to have that “Mission Essential” tag they can associate with an employee who is either too heavy or too criminal but is some managers buddy? It will be interesting to see how they weed out their undesirables. I do have a feeling their definition of undesirable and mine are two different things.

Below is the email that just went out.

TO: LOGCAP III Middle East Employees  

FROM: Jeff Rock, Chief of Staff, LOGCAP III Middle East

SUBJECT: LOGCAP IV CTP Task Order Update

As you know, the U.S. government announced it has awarded KBR the CTP contract, a cost-plus, fixed-fee contract. This contract is known as LOGCAP IV Task Order #0002, and was awarded to support the Corps Logistics Support Services, Theater Transportation Mission, Iraq Postal Services, and ice plant operations throughout Iraq.

From April 13-15, the U.S. government hosted a post-award contract to discuss the differences between the proposal and current support requirements. Two differences that arose were the transition timeline and Defense Contract Management Agency and Defense Contract Audit Agency audit procedures. These will be resolved in the near future.

The CTP task order will reflect the requirements of the current support unit – the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary). The task order will transition from LOGCAP III to LOGCAP IV by function – CLSS and ice plant operations will transition first, followed by the postal mission, then the transportation mission. The complete transition is scheduled to be finished by Aug. 31, 2010.

The final labor numbers and workforce mix – meaning how many American expatriates, foreign national direct-hire employees and sub-contract workers will be required – has not been determined. One thing is known – in order for current LOGCAP III employees to transition to LOGCAP IV CTP, they must receive a job offer, and if the job offer is accepted, they must undergo a medical and security screening as required by the new contract.

A second, more in-depth, post-award conference will be held at Joint Base Balad from April 26-29. During this conference, details of the requirements and associated workforce will be worked out between the U.S. government and KBR.

The transition team will provide more information as it becomes available.

Jeff Rock
Chief of Staff
F1 #43382
APO AE 09344
281-669-XXXX
DSN 4852721

Recently discovered element – heaviest known to science

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I don’t normally report on scientific discoveries, but a fellow blogger forwarded this article posted at Brutally Honest and I felt obligated to the Human Race to repost and make sure as many people as possible knew about this phenomenon!

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California  has now identified with certainty the heaviest element known to science.

The new element, Pelosium (PL), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.

Pelosium is inert, and has no charge and no magnetism.  Nevertheless, it can be detected because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact.  A tiny amount of Pelosium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from 4 days to 4 years to complete.

Pelosium has a normal half-life of 2 years.  It does not decay, but instead undergoes a biennial reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.

Pelosium mass will increase over time, since each reorganization will promote many morons to become isodopes.

This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Pelosium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.

When catalyzed with money, Pelosium becomes Senatorium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Pelosium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

No matter what your political affiliation, you have to admit….that’s funny! Change the name to make it apply to who every you want. Pelosium works just fine for me. Just thought I would give you all a little break from the “not so humorous” world of DoD contracting and their fraudulent contractors.

Smile!!

Ms Sparky

Blackwater/XE: No Rules – No Limits – No Bail (Updated links 04-17-2010)

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Ex-Blackwater president charged in firearms case

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Five former employees of the U.S. defense contractor Blackwater Worldwide were indicted on Friday, including its former president , on several weapons charges and making false statements.

They were accused of skirting federal firearms laws and misrepresenting the weapons they were buying and the identities of the purchasers. This included a case in which weapons were given to Jordanian officials in hopes of winning their business, while it was stated they were bought by employees.

Also charged in the 15-count indictment were the company’s former general counsel , former executive vice president William Mathews, former vice president of logistics and procurement , and former armorer .

Blackwater, which has changed its name to Xe Services, has faced intense scrutiny for its security work in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some of its guards were accused of wrongly killing Iraqi civilians in 2007 while protecting U.S. diplomats there.

In the Jordanian case, King Abdullah visited Blackwater’s training facility in North Carolina as the company tried to win a lucrative contract for building and running a training center, according to prosecutors and the indictment.

He and his entourage were presented with five firearms as gifts “to gain favor,” the indictment said.

When the company could not account for the weapons, Jackson allegedly directed employees to fill out the necessary forms to show that Blackwater employees had bought the guns for their own use.

The Justice Department said that there was no wrongdoing by the Jordanian government or its officials and said the country provided assistance in the investigation.

The group also was accused of amassing some 227 short barrels for M4 rifles for their work in Afghanistan and Iraq but U.S. law limits such weapons. Prosecutors said the group allegedly arranged straw purchases to evade detection.

It was not immediately clear whether the five individuals had retained lawyers.

A spokesman for Xe Services said it was aware of the charges and that the company has fully cooperated with the Justice Department’s investigation.

“Given the pending criminal charges, the company will not comment further,” said Mark Corallo, the spokesman for the company.

(Reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky and James Vicini; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Eric Walsh) (Click HERE for original article) Click HERE for Indictment

Anham LLC to replace Agility as Prime Vendor (updated 4/17/2010)

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Anham Wins Six Year $2 Billion Contract

US – IRAQ – – After discarding the services of Kuwait based freight forwarder Agility following the controversial accusations of corruption running into millions of dollars, the US Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) confirmed today to the Handy Shipping Guide that they had indeed chosen another appointee to take over the shipping of food and beverages to support US forces in the Middle East.

Anham LLC of Dubai have been awarded the 18 month base period contract ahead of three other groups who bid for the works. The contract has four further option periods, option periods one, two and three are for one year each, while option period four is for eighteen months making the overall contract period a total of six years. It’s an IDIQ contract and the maximum potential value of the contract is about $6.4 billion ($6,469,092,827) if all options are exercised. However, a DLA spokesman told us he anticipates that the actual dollar value over the life of the contract, assuming all options are exercised, will be about $2.1 billion.

There will be a transition between the current contractor () and Anham to allow the incoming contractor sufficient time to take over the contract and the current contractor to diminish current stocks in the supply chain. The contract with the present expires in December 2010.

A copy of the DLA solicitation can be viewed here. (click HERE for the original article)

UPDATED 4/16/2010 @ 1021 PST: The Below statement is from the Anham site under NEWS.

ANHAM FZCO, LLC Awarded Multi-Billion Dollar U.S. Department of Defense Contract to Support Troops in Kuwait, Iraq and Jordan

Washington, DC – Today, the United States Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) announced that it has awarded a contract with estimated worth between $2.16 and $6.47 billion, including options enclosed for the contract term, to ANHAM FZCO, LLC to provide full-line food and non-food distribution and support to Department of Defense customers in Kuwait, Iraq and Jordan.

ANHAM has issued the following statement:

“It is with great gratitude and a compelling sense of duty that all at ANHAM welcome the award to expand our support for those serving in the Middle East. We have a long track record of meeting and exceeding the contract requirements and expectations of our clients, the United States Government, and all stakeholders. Our capable team will continue to build upon its legacy of delivering the best services at the best value to American taxpayers and the United States Government. We look forward to a continued partnership with The Department of Defense.”

Contact
Trish Wexler
twexler@voxglobal.com

About ANHAM, LLC

ANHAM, LLC ( www.anham.com ) is a leading contracting firm working throughout the Middle East and North Africa (“MENA”), Central Asia, and Europe. With a century’s worth of experience between its principal founding companies, ANHAM is able to efficiently, effectively, and affordably deliver products and services throughout the world. Headquartered in Dubai, UAE, ANHAM has international offices that specialize in providing local support and services to its initiatives, projects, and investments across diverse regions of the globe.

UPDATED 4/17/2010 @ 1731 pst

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Anham, LLC, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is being awarded a maximum $6,469,092,827 fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for full-line food and beverage support to authorized ordering facilities in Iraq, Kuwait, and Jordan.  The original proposal was a full and open solicitation with four responses.  This contract provides for one 18-month option and three one-year periods.  The date of performance completion is 18 months post first delivery order.  The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (SPM300-10-D-3373). (Click HERE original page)

Agility gets 6 month extension to ensure smooth transition to Anham LLC

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Below is the email apparently sent to ALL employees after the announcement that ’s $2 billion contract had been awarded to .

As most of you know Agility is the current Prime Vendor providing food and logistics support to the US Department of Defense in Iraq and .  Recently the US Department of Justices filed criminal indictments and lawsuits regarding, among other things fraudulent billing practices to the US Government.

I’m sure Terak Sultan and other disgruntled, embarrassed or indicted Agility managers will do whatever is necessary to ensure a smooth transition ti the new contractor! (sarcasm)

Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2010 12:46 PM
Subject: News Update

This message was sent to DGS-All, Kuwait -All and Agility, Infrastructure and GIL Management and to key communications contacts.

Dear Colleague,

We learned today that the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) has awarded the Subsistence Prime Vendor III (PV3) contract to another company. In order to ensure an orderly transition, DLA has formally asked Agility to continue supplying food to U.S. troops in Iraq and Kuwait under the existing PV2 contract for the next six months.

The news is disappointing, but not unexpected. For several months, the company has been planning and adjusting for the potential loss of Prime Vendor revenue as the result of our ongoing legal dispute with the Justice Department and the drawdown and withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq by 2011.

We won the first Prime Vendor contract in 2003. We brought world-class assets and unmatched expertise to the challenge of supplying as many as 1 million meals a day to troops and contractors. Our performance, under the most dangerous and demanding conditions, is unparalleled in industry or military history.

I want to thank you for the extraordinary commitment you have brought to this contract and to our other important work. It’s that commitment that has sustained us as we navigate our legal challenges. And it is that commitment, along with the assets and experience we put behind Prime Vendor, that will drive Agility’s success in the years to come.

Thank you for your work on behalf of our Prime Vendor customer and all of our customers.

Best regards,

President & CEO
Agility DGS Holdings, Inc.

Pentagon Acts To Boost Security In Wake Of Fort Hood Rampage

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width:203 and height: 120 and picwidth: 203 and pciheight: 120Defense , who said earlier this year that a review stemming from the shooting rampage “raises serious questions” about the military’s ability to cope with security threats within its ranks, has approved interim steps to address “gaps and deficiencies” identified by the review.

WASHINGTON (April 15, 2010)—The Department of Defense announced steps its taking Thursday to expand how it shares and disseminates information on terrorist threats to the military here and overseas.

A Pentagon statement Thursday lists four steps being taken to address gaps in military security in response to the November shootings at Fort Hood in which 13 people died and 39 others were injured.

Read The Defense Department Announcement

The Pentagon said it is expanding an FBI-operated threat reporting system to handle suspicious incident reports and completing deployment of a database that will allow all Defense Department law enforcement to share criminal investigation and other law enforcement details.

The position of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and America’s Security Affairs will be created to work with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and Defense Department anti-terrorism training also will incorporate lessons from the Fort Hood massacre.

The actions follow up on 26 of 79 recommendations made by a panel appointed to review the shooting rampage at Fort Hood.

The report was released in January and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said then it “raises serious questions” about the military’s ability to cope with security threats within its ranks.

Read The Full Review

Major Interim Steps Announced Thursday
(Source: DoD)

(1) Expand the pilot program to fully deploy eGuardian as the DoD-wide force protection threat reporting system to handle suspicious incident activities. The , which is FBI-owned and maintained, will safeguard civil liberties, while enabling information sharing among Federal, State, local, and tribal law enforcement partners, including interagency fusion centers.

(2) Complete the deployment of the Law Enforcement Defense Data Exchange system () allowing all DoD law enforcement agencies to share criminal investigation as well as other law enforcement data as appropriate. will be a consolidated database to enable organizations across the Department to query, retrieve, and post criminal investigation and law enforcement data in a single repository.

(3) Establish the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas’ Security Affairs as the DoD lead for the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force program.

(4) Strengthen DoD’s antiterrorism training program by incorporating lessons learned from the Fort Hood incident, Department of best practices on workplace violence, and civilian law enforcement active shooter awareness training.

Read The Defense Department Announcement

Fort Hood’s Dead

Mike Cahill, Cameron

Mike Cahill, 62, of Cameron was among the 13 people killed in a shooting rampage Thursday at the Soldier Readiness Center at Fort Hood. , Cahill, a civilian physician’s assistant, helped treat soldiers returning from tours of duty or preparing for deployment. Often, his daughter Keely Vanacker said, Cahill would walk young soldiers where they needed to go, just to make sure they got the right treatment. “He loved his patients, and his patients loved him,” said Vanacker, 33, the oldest of Cahill’s three adult children. “He just felt his job was important.” Cahill, who was born in Spokane, Wash., had worked as a civilian contractor at Fort Hood for about four years, after jobs in rural health clinics and at Veterans Affairs hospitals. He and his wife, Joleen, had been married 37 years. Vanacker described her father as a gregarious man and a voracious reader who could talk for hours about any subject. The family’s typical Thanksgiving dinners ended with board games and long conversations over the table, said Vanacker, whose voice often cracked with emotion as she remembered her father. “Now, who I am going to talk to?”

Major L. Eduardo Caraveo, Virginia

Major L. Eduardo Caraveo, 52, arrived in the United States in his teens from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, knowing very little English said his son, who’s also named Eduardo Caraveo. He earned his doctorate in psychology from the University of Arizona and worked with bilingual special-needs students at Tucson-area schools before entering private practice. His son told the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson that Caraveo arrived at Fort Hood on Wednesday and was preparing to deploy to Afghanistan. Eduardo Caraveo spoke to the newspaper from his mother’s Tucson home. His father’s Web site says he offered marriage seminars with a company based in Woodbridge, Va. He was assigned to the 467th Medical Detachment, Madison, Wis.

Staff Sgt. Justin M. DeCrow, Georgia

Staff Sgt. Justin M. DeCrow, 32, was helping train soldiers on how to help new veterans with paperwork and had felt safe on the Army post. “He was on a base,” his wife, Marikay DeCrow, said in a telephone interview from the couple’s home at Fort Gordon, Ga., where she hoped to be reunited with her husband once he finished his work at Fort Hood. “They should be safe there. They should be safe.” His wife said she wanted everyone to know what a loving man he was. The DeCrows have a 13-year-old daughter, Kylah. “He was well loved by everyone,” she said through sobs. “He was a loving father and husband and he will be missed by all.” DeCrow’s father, Daniel DeCrow, of Fulton, Ind., said his son graduated high school in Plymouth, Ind., and married his high school sweetheart that summer before joining the Army. The couple moved near Fort Gordon about five years ago, he said. About a year ago, his son was stationed in Korea for a year. When he returned to the U.S., the Army moved him to Fort Hood while he waited for a position to open up in Fort Gordon so he could move back with his wife and daughter, Daniel DeCrow said. DeCrow said he talked to his son last week to ask him how things were going at Fort Hood. “As usual, the last words out of my mouth to him were that I was proud of him,” he said. “That’s what I said to him every time – that I loved him and I was proud of what he was doing. I can carry that around in my heart.” He was assigned to the 16th Signal Company, Fort Hood.

Capt. John Gaffaney, California

Capt. John Gaffaney, 56, was a psychiatric nurse who worked for San Diego County, Calif., for more than 20 years and had arrived at Fort Hood the day before the shooting to prepare for a deployment to Iraq. Gaffaney, who was born in Williston, N.D., had served in the Navy and later the California National Guard as a younger man, his family said. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, he tried to sign up again for military service. Although the Army Reserves at first declined, he got the call about two years ago asking him to rejoin, said his close friend and co-worker Stephanie Powell. “He wanted to help the boys in Iraq and Afghanistan deal with the trauma of what they were seeing,” Powell said. “He was an honorable man. He just wanted to serve in any way he can.” His family described him as an avid baseball card collector and fan of the San Diego Padres who liked to read military novels and ride his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Gaffaney supervised a team of six social workers, including Powell, at the county’s Adult Protective Services department. Ellen Schmeding, assistant deputy director for the county’s Health and Human Services Agency, said Gaffaney was a strong leader. He is survived by a wife and a son. He was assigned to the 1908th Medical Company, Independence, Mo.

Spc. Frederick Greene, Tennessee

Spc. Frederick Greene, 29, of Mountain City, Tenn., was assigned to the 16th Signal Company, Fort Hood, Texas. He went by the nickname “Freddie” and was active at Baker’s Gap Baptist Church while he was growing up, said Glenn Arney, the church’s former superintendent and a former co-worker of Greene’s.

Spc. Jason Dean Hunt, Oklahoma

Spc. Jason Dean Hunt, 22, was among the 13 people killed Thursday at Fort Hood, family members in Oklahoma said. Gale Hunt of Frederick said Friday two uniformed soldiers came to her door at 11:30 p.m. Thursday to notify her of the death of her son. She said her son joined the military after graduation from Tipton High School, and had served three and a-half years, including a stint in Iraq. He was married two months ago. He was previously stationed at Fort Stewart in Georgia. She described him as family-oriented and quiet and said he enjoyed video games. He was assigned to the 1st Brigade, Fort Hood.

Sgt. Amy Krueger, Wisconsin

Sgt. Amy Krueger, 29, of Kiel, Wis., joined the Army after the 2001 terrorist attacks and had vowed to take on Osama bin Laden. Her mother, Jeri Krueger, says Amy Krueger had arrived at Fort Hood on Tuesday. She told the Herald Times Reporter of Manitowoc, Wis., that her daughter was scheduled to be sent to Afghanistan in December. Jeri Krueger recalls telling her daughter that she could not take on bin Laden by herself. The mother recalls her daughter’s response: “Watch me.” Kiel High School Principal Dario Talerico told The Associated Press that Krueger graduated from the school in 1998 and had spoken at least once to local elementary school students about her career. Talerico says he remembers Amy Krueger as “a very good kid, who like most kids in a small town are just looking for what their next step in life was going to be and she chose the military. Once she got into the military, she really connected with that kind of lifestyle and was really proud to serve her country.” She was assigned to the 467th Medical Company, Madison, Wis.

Pfc. Aaron Thomas Nemelka, Utah

Pfc. Aaron Thomas Nemelka, 19, who was from the Salt Lake City suburb of West Jordan, Utah, chose to join the Army instead of going on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to his uncle, Christopher Nemelka, who says, , “As a person, Aaron was as soft and kind and as gentle as they come, a sweetheart.” He says that what he “loved about the kid was his independence of thought.” Aaron Nemelka was the youngest of four children. His family says he was scheduled to be deployed to Afghanistan in January. Utah National Guard Lt. Col. Lisa Olsen says Nemelka had enlisted in the Army in October 2008. He was assigned to the 510th
Engineer Company, 20th Engineer Battalion, Fort Hood.

Pfc. Michael Pearson, Illinois

Pfc. Michael Pearson, 21, of Bolingbrook, Ill. was one of the 13 people killed in the shooting rampage. Sheryll Pearson told the Chicago Tribune that she and her husband found out Thursday that their son was killed in the attack. She said her son joined the Army more than a year ago and was training to deactivate bombs. She said she and her husband received a call from their son’s sergeant at Fort Hood. He told them their son had been shot three times, and an Army surgeon later called to say he had died. Sheryll Pearson says the loss has left the family “all very angry.” Neighbor Jessica Koerber says the family has “lost their gem.” She said Michael loved playing with his nieces and nephews and enjoyed playing guitar. She calls him “a great kid.” He was assigned to the 510th Engineer Company, 20th Engineer Battalion, Fort Hood.

Capt. Russell Seager, Wisconsin

Capt. Russell Seager, 51, of Racine, Wis., was assigned to the 467th Medical Company, Madison, Wis. Seager was a psychiatrist who joined the Army because he wanted to help veterans returning to civilian life. His brother-in-law, Dennis Prudhomme, said he worked with soldiers at the Veterans Affairs hospital. Seager was scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan in December.

 

Pvt. Francheska Velez, Illinois

Relatives say 21-year-old Francheska Velez of Chicago is among the 13 people killed when an Army psychiatrist opened fire. Her father, Juan Guillermo Velez, said she only recently returned from deployment in Iraq. She was preparing to come home because she was pregnant. He likens her death on U.S. soil after serving her country to a slap in the face. He clutched pictures of his daughter as he spoke on a family porch. A friend of Velez, Sasha Ramos, describes her as a fun-loving person who wrote poetry and loved dancing. She was assigned to the 15th Combat Support Battalion, Fort Hood.

Lt. Col. Juanita Warman, Maryland

Lt. Col. Juanita Warman, 55, of Havre De Grace, Md., was a military physician assistant with two daughters and six grandchildren. Her sister, Margaret Yaggie of Roaring Branch in north-central Pennsylvania, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that her sister attended Pittsburgh Langley High School and put herself through school at the University of Pittsburgh. She said her sister spent most of her career in the military. She was assigned to the 1908th Medical Company, Independence, Mo.

Spc. Kham Xiong, Minnesota

A St. Paul, Minnesota soldier is among those who were killed in the Fort Hood massacre. Army Spc. Kham Xiong was shot and killed before he ever had a chance to go to war. He was at Fort Hood, preparing for a deployment in Iraq around New Year’s. Xiong’s wife and three children had been with him in Texas for five months, as he got ready for his assignment. The rest of his family is in St. Paul where Xiongs’ father, Chor, says he will always be proud of his son. Family members say Xiong was in line for a physical when the shooting broke out. His wife sent him a text message, telling him to come home for lunch and go back for the physical later. But Xiong texted back, “No, I’ll stay. It’s almost my turn.” Xiong has ten siblings, including a 17-year-old brother, who’s a Marine in Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 510th Engineer Company, 20th Engineer Battalion, Fort Hood. (Click HERE for original article)

——————————————————————————————-

My heartfelt condolences to the victims, survivors and families.  Thanks to all of you for serving our country.

-Forseti

Contractor Deaths Accelerating in Afghanistan as They Outnumber Soldiers

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by T. Christian Miller, ProPublica – April 14, 2010 2:09 pm EDT

A recent Congressional Research Service analysis [1] obtained by ProPublica looked at the number of civilian contractors killed in Afghanistan in recent months. It’s not pretty.

Of the 289 civilians killed since the war began more than eight years ago, 100 have died in just the last six months. That’s a reflection of both growing violence and the importance of the civilians flooding into the country along with troops in response to President Obama’s decision to boost the American presence in Afghanistan.

The latest U.S. Department of Defense numbers show there are actually more civilian contractors on the ground in Afghanistan than there are soldiers. The Pentagon reported [2] 107,292 U.S.-hired civilian workers in Afghanistan as of February 2010, when there were about 78,000 soldiers. This is apparently the first time that contractors have exceeded soldiers by such a large margin.

Using civilian contractors to haul food, prepare meals and act as bodyguards has kept the Pentagon’s official casualty figures lower than they would have been in past conflicts, where contractors were not as heavily used.

Contractor casualties are, by and large, invisible to the public, disguising the full human cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are not reported in totals given by the government. If they were, the death toll in Afghanistan would have surpassed 1,000 — 848 soldiers, 289 civilian contractors — from 2001 to 2009, a milestone that has gone entirely unmarked.

The number of contractor dead are released only through the Labor Department, which keeps count as part of an insurance program for contractors known as the Defense Base Act. And these numbers, agency officials have admitted and our reporting has shown, undercount fatalities. As David Isenberg [3] pointed out in the Huffington Post recently, a new database designed, in part, to track contractor deaths is still not being used to do so.

Staff researcher Lisa Schwartz contributed to this report.(click HERE for the original article)