The Private military contractor reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Private military contractor

Private military contractors (or PMCs), are companies that provide logistics and combat services directly for the military. The term most often refers to the two dozen firms in the United States that provide services directly to The Pentagon and assist in overseas theaters of operation. The Center for Public Integrity reported that since 1994, the Defense Department entered into 3,601 contracts worth $300 billion with 12 U.S. based PMCs.

Some view this as an inevitable cost cutting measure and responsible privatization of critical aspects of the military. However, many feel this is a troubling trend, since these private companies are not directly accountable to Congress.

Significant events

In 1999, an episode with DynCorp in Bosnia was particularly embarrassing for the U.S. military. On March 31, 2004, in Fallujah, Iraq, four private military contractors were dragged from their car, burnt and mutilated in one of the most brutal attacks on US citizens in the conflict.

There has been a recent exodus in many special forces across the globe towards these private military corporations. The United Kingdon Special Air Service, the United States Army Special Forces and the Canadian Army's Joint Task Force 2 have been hit particularly hard. Operators are lured by the fact that entry level positions with the various companies can pay up to $100k which is 2-3 times more than what an average special forces operator is paid.

Among the companies in the United States mentioned as PMCs:

• DynCorp
• Blackwater USA
• Kellogg, Brown and Root, a subsidiary of Halliburton
• Military Professional Resources
• Carlyle Group, a private military investor
• Control Risks Group LLC (Website)

Other international firms include:

• Meteoric Tactical Solutions, South Africa
• Erinys, joint South Africa-Britain

See also: arms trade, mercenaries

External links

• Corporate Warriors: The Rise and Ramifications of the Privatized Military Industry, by Peter W. Singer, John M. Olin Post-doctoral Fellow, Foreign Policy Studies, Brookings Institution, Winter 2001-2002. ISBN 0801441145
• Making a Killing: The Business of War, an extensive report by the Center for Public Integrity

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