Air Force completes Kabul shooting investigation

Posted on: January 17th, 2012 at 8:07 am — by Forseti
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Photo courtesy GlobalSecurity.org

WASHINGTON (AFNS)- January 17, 2012 - The Air Force completed its investigation into the April 27, 2011 shooting incident at the Afghanistan air force Headquarters located in , Afghanistan, in which eight U.S. Air Force Airmen and one civilian contractor were killed in the line of duty while serving in a combat zone.

The incident occurred when an Afghanistan air force officer, , entered the Afghan Command and Control Center in the Afghanistan air force headquarters, North Kabul International Airport, and shot and killed the eight Airmen and one civilian contractor. In addition to the U.S. personnel killed, two Afghans were shot and three other Afghans were injured in the attack. The attacker died of wounds received during the incident.

The investigation report concludes Gul acted alone and discusses factors that may have played a role in the incident. While the investigation did not determine a conclusive motive for the killing, the attack appeared to be pre-meditated and there were multiple witness statements in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations report that indicated Gul may have had personal issues that were possibly compounded by alleged financial problems.

(Read the rest of the story here…)

Posted in A Soldiers Story, CONTRACTOR DEATHS, GOV. CONTRACTORS, Reports & Investigations. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , . No Comments »

Three killed as civilian helicopter crashes in Afghanistan (Updated)

Posted on: January 16th, 2012 at 9:43 am — by Forseti
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, who worked for AAR Airlift of Chicago, was in Afghanistan doing work for the U.S. Defense Department. ~Tribune Star, Terre Haute, Indiana

, 30, of Imperial, died Monday, January 16, 2012 in a helicopter accident while working in Afghanistan. ~ Beaver County Times

of Arkansas packed a lot of life into his 48 years…

…On Monday, however, Darrell and Jan Walker of Rice Lake received a phone call that their son had died in Afghanistan. The company Todd worked for, Wood Dale, Ill.-based AAR Airlift, reported that a helicopter carrying a crew of three employees, including Todd, was involved in an accident in Helmand Province at about 10:45 a.m. Monday. ~Liam Marlaire, Leader Telegram

(Deutsche Presse-Agentur) – Kandahar, Afghanistan – January 16, 2012 – A civilian helicopter crashed in the southern Afghan province of Helmand Monday, killing all three foreign nationals on board, the authorities said.

Helmand’s deputy police chief, Qamarudin Shirzad, said the helicopter crashed in Nad Ali district probably because of technical problems. ‘The area has been secured now,’ he said.

A security official who confirmed the three deaths, but could not verify the nationalities of the victims, said: ‘The helicopter was completely destroyed by the impact and subsequent fire.’

A spokesman for the -led International Security Assistance Force said, ‘We can only confirm that a civilian helicopter has crashed in Helmand.’

(Read the rest of the story here…)

Posted in CONTRACTOR DEATHS. Tags: , , , , , , , . 20 Comments »

KBR, Halliburton Won’t Face Trial in Iraq Convoy Driver Deaths, Court Says

Posted on: January 12th, 2012 at 2:31 pm — by Ms Sparky
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By Laurel Brubaker Calkins and Margaret Cronin Fisk - Jan 12, 2012 3:55 PM CT

(Bloomberg News) – Co. (HAL), won’t face a jury on claims they sent unarmed civilian convoy drivers into an Iraqi battle zone in 2004, knowing the workers would be injured or killed, an appeals court ruled.

The U.S. Court of Appeals in New Orleans today ruled the drivers’ claims were blocked by the , a U.S. law that shields military contractors from lawsuits. The drivers were attacked and injured because of their role in support operations for the U.S. Army, which is covered under that statute, the judges said.

“Coverage of an injury under the DBA precludes an employee from recovering from his employer,” even if the worker claims the company was “substantially certain” the injuries would occur, U.S. Circuit Judge Priscilla R. Owen said in a 30-page ruling by the panel.

(Read the rest of the story here…)

Posted in CONTRACTOR DEATHS, Fisher vs KBR, Good Friday Massacre, GOV. CONTRACTORS, LAWSUITS, LOGCAP III - KBR. Tags: , , , , , . No Comments »

KBR Driver Prevails in Suit Over Convoy Danger in Iraq

Posted on: January 10th, 2012 at 11:44 am — by Ms Sparky
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KBR Settles Suit Over Driver’s Claim Company Knew of Danger to Convoy

By Margaret Cronin Fisk and Laurel Brubaker Calkins – Jan 10, 2012 10:17 AM PT

KBR Inc. (KBR) settled a lawsuit brought by an injured convoy driver who claimed the company sent civilians into a battle zone in Iraq in 2004 knowing they would be attacked and possibly killed, according to a court filing.

, the driver, reached a “confidential settlement” with KBR and its former parent, Co. (HAL), his lawyer, , said yesterday in court papers. Lane and the defendants asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit, according to the filing.

“Lane was severely injured in the attack, and his wife died during the pendency of the case,” Fibich said today in a phone interview. He declined to comment further on the settlement, citing the confidentiality agreement.

KBR, a Houston-based government contractor, was also sued by the families of seven drivers who were killed in Iraq. The company is appealing a ruling by U.S. District in Houston allowing the suits to go forward. The other claims haven’t been settled, Scott Allen, a lawyer for the families, said today in a phone interview.

, a KBR spokeswoman, didn’t immediately comment on the settlement with Lane, which was reached in late December, according to appeals court records. Beverly Stafford, a Halliburton spokeswoman, didn’t immediately respond to a call or e-mail seeking comment on the settlement.

Recruited Workers
The drivers and their families claim KBR officials fraudulently recruited workers for safe jobs in Iraq and intentionally sent unarmed civilians into a recognized combat zone in April 2004. The military-supply contract gave company officials the right to refuse assignments deemed too dangerous for civilians, according to the complaints. (Read the rest of the story here…)

Posted in CONTRACTOR DEATHS, Fisher vs KBR, GOV. CONTRACTORS, LAWSUITS, Lawsuits Against KBR, LOGCAP III - KBR. Tags: , , , , , , , , , . No Comments »

Triple Canopy contractor Sean Ferguson killed in Iraq

Posted on: November 14th, 2011 at 12:35 pm — by Forseti
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A memorial service will be held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel located at the corner of Caldwell Ave. and Chinowth St. in Visalia on Saturday, November 19, at 10 a.m.

Jordan said the family was told Sean died of “natural causes,” not from any wounds. And it wasn’t immediately clear if he was working when he died. ~ Click HERE for article
of Visalia, who earned two Purple Hearts for his military service in , died there Saturday of natural causes, a friend of his family said today.

Ferguson, 29, is the son of Tulare County Superior Court Judge Darryl Ferguson. ~Click HERE for article

Mt. Whitney High School Grad Dies While Working in Iraq

(KMPH) – VISALIA, Calif. – November 14, 2011 - A Visalia family is mourning the loss of their son in Iraq.
29-year-old Sean Ferguson received two Purple Hearts while serving our country. He joined the U.S. Army in August 2001 and retired eight years later as a Staff Sergeant after he was hurt in combat.

He returned to Baghdad to work for , a private contractor that provides security and mission support services to government agencies and other organizations.

(Read the rest of the story here…)

Posted in CONTRACTOR DEATHS, GOV. CONTRACTORS, Security Contractors. Tags: , , , . 5 Comments »

13 Americans believed killed in Kabul bombing (updated 11-4-2011)

Posted on: October 30th, 2011 at 8:23 am — by Forseti
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Attack Near UN Offices in Southern Afghanistan Kills 5
October 31st, 2011 – The United Nations’ refugee agency says three of its employees are among the five people killed in a suicide bombing in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar.

United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon said those killed included three UNHCR security guards and two security contractors. Two guards were also injured in the attack early Monday.

Authorities say one attacker detonated a vehicle full of explosives near buildings used by the UNHCR and the U.S.-based International Relief and Development organization.

After the blast, three gunmen rushed into the area and seized control of an animal clinic. Afghan officials say security forces exchanged gunfire with the men for more than six hours before the attackers were killed. (Click HERE for article)

Two British Civilian Contractors killed worked for Fluor
October 31, 2011

The British contractors were named locally as , 52, and , 34. Both men were electricians, employed by the Texas-based engineering company Fluor. Their bodies were due to be repatriated last night. “The company has notified the families involved,” said Fluor spokesman Keith Stephens. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and loved ones of our co-workers. Right now our focus is helping them.” (click HERE for original article)

Habib Zohori – (McClatchy Newspapers) – , Afghanistan – October 29, 2011 – At least 17 people — including as many as 13 Americans — were killed Saturday when a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into an armored military bus on a busy road in the Afghan capital.

The International Security Assistance Force said that five of its soldiers and eight civilian contractors working for the U.S.-led coalition had been killed, and news services reported that all were American. It would make it the deadliest day for Americans in Afghanistan since August, when 30 U.S. soldiers died in the downing of a Chinook helicopter in the eastern part of the country.

The attack demonstrated the continuing ability of Taliban insurgents to stage shocking attacks against coalition forces and civilians. U.S. Marine , commander of ISAF, said he was “saddened and outraged” by the attacks and said that the insurgents were trying “to hide the fact that they are losing territory, support and the will to fight.”

(Read the rest of the story here…)

Posted in CONTRACTOR DEATHS, GOV. CONTRACTORS. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , . 12 Comments »

American James “Will” Coker found beheaded in Afghanistan (Updated 9/7/2011)

Posted on: September 6th, 2011 at 3:11 pm — by Ms Sparky
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photoCBS News September 6, 2011

An Afghan military official tells CBS News that the body of a U.S. national was found beheaded on Monday in eastern , days after a civilian engineer went missing in the capital city.

Intelligence sources in Afghanistan told the Reuters news agency the body was that of the missing American civilian, and the international military coalition confirmed that a U.S. engineer had been killed.

Special section: Afghanistan

The slain engineer was identified as James W. “Will” Coker by the , for which he worked in Kabul as a construction contractor.

Kidnappings and targeted killings of foreigners are common in Afghanistan, but less so in the sprawling capital city, which has seen less impact from the - and al Qaeda-led insurgency plaguing many parts of the nation.

Coker was reported missing on Monday, but sources tell CBS News he actually disappeared on Sept. 2

Mount Pleasant man slain in war zone

59-year-old is third Pentagon civilian killed in 10 years of war in Afghanistan

Schuyler Kropf – (Post and Courier) – Mount Pleasant SC – September 7, 2011 – A Mount Pleasant man working as a civilian in Afghanistan was killed in a violent death over the weekend, and his daughter said she’s lost her best friend.

(Read the rest of the story here…)

Posted in CONTRACTOR DEATHS, GOV. CONTRACTORS. Tags: , , , . 5 Comments »
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