Military Logistics Contracts

Why companies hire private military contractors: Part One

Everyone is familiar with the companies that hire military contractors civilians to perform the duties which were filled by active duty military and women. These companies provide staff for everything from pilot test, cooks, armed escorts for accountants.

But few people know that multinational companies hire both individual entrepreneurs and private military contractors to assist them to perform a multitude of tasks.

PMC These provide:

• Security
• Transportation
• Executive Protection
• Logistical support
• Intelligence
• Training
• Product Development

Today we will examine how PMC fulfill the function of security in many societies. Following articles will address other ways that contribute to the PMC business world.

Security

The more worry in the mind of every CEO is the fear that some of his people are abducted or killed at work. Multinationals operate in dangerous countries, and Americans do not realize the level of violent crime and war in many parts of the world. The first time my wife came visit me in Colombia, she was amazed at how almost every shopping mall, bank and apartment complex were guards with automatic weapons. (Colombia is better now, incidentally.)

Their concern is that the second largest head office or the means of production will damaged or destroyed. Resource companies have no choice but to operate in hostile environments. oil fields, mines copper and diamonds are all located in areas of conflict. (If you ever need proof that God has a sense of humor, just look where he put the oil.) Before a company will invest millions in infrastructure, management wants to know they will be able to maintain a certain security level.

Thus was born the Department of Enterprise Security. Every large company has one, and it is generally headed by a former member of one elite military units, Delta, SF, SEALs and dominate these slots. Sometimes a place is a former officer the CIA or FBI. These service handle many routine tasks such as hiring guards, securing sites and meeting mandates OSHA. But these groups, some with odd names like "Ministry of Environment, Health and Safety", hire contractors PMC individual and businesses to help the mission to protect company personnel and property in strange places and in difficult times.

Investigations Security

Having worked for some of these companies in the past I have been asked most often with Safety Investigation of the scene. Often a company wants a new set of eyes looking around a forward operating base to catch breaches of physical security. These jobs have run the gamut from teaming up with a psychologist to screen undercover agents guerrilla installation of oil production in the tour, the mega-yachts after 9-11 to determine their susceptibility to hackers and terrorists. These surveys usually consist of a tour of the site, management interviews, writing a white paper, then present the results at a meeting of local management and executives.

While making my report to a company having a place in an area of War, I pointed out a weak point, where a truck bomb could crash right into a building.

"Here at the roadside, you need to dig ten feet eight inch pipes in the ground, then fill with concrete, "I said.

"Oh, we have orange cones to divert traffic, "the country manager said.

"Orange cones will not stop a truck bomb," I said, laughing.

"You do not understand, "he said, holding his hand waist high. "We have the big orange cones." As I said, each company has blind spots.

War zones

In many "hot" country company will partner with the government of that country to extract and sell their natural resources. In the agreement, the host country will provide military units to protect company personnel and facilities.

For example, a mining company could "rent" a host of Army battalion to watch over their mines, the company housing, and railroad that transports goods to the port. In return, the company will provide new equipment for the military, built a school in a poor neighborhood, or even a power plant. At a large facility, I witnessed the company pressed into providing all three.

The company now needs someone to interface with the troops. You can bet they will not compare a person in the department accounting.

The company hired a PMC to send a former special forces soldier who speaks French or Portuguese or whatever language necessary. The contractor will spend his days and nights with the troops, the development of relationships. With the help of senior officers, he would draft a plan battle to include attack scenarios, and in the worst cases, evacuation. With junior officers, he will help many patrols Security must be sent, what type of information should be collected locally, and the rules of engagement.

In many Third World countries, the military manager will also develop and implement a training program to bring the host country to military an effective level. This will consist of courses in communications, how to use close air support, and small unit combat tactics.

Some conspiracy theorists cling to the perception that multinational corporations still maintain private paramilitary groups. Although this is somewhat true until the mid-80s, today it is purely business. This is a function of responsibility.

If something ever go wrong, the host nation to pursue the contractor instead of the multinational. After calling in an airstrike against the success of the insurgents, two entrepreneurs in my company have been charged with murder by prosecutors and judges corrupted purchased by terrorists. Even if the actions of these men have saved a large facility, the company quietly fired entrepreneurs and continued extraction resources. My company sent two new people. Contractors have been hired from another company in another location, and life continues.

N ON E-combatants to evacuate O perations

NEO is the ace-in-the-hole for existing employees in warmer regions. Some entrepreneurs have specialists on staff in bad places. One almost never hears of NEO success. The vast exception is when Ross Perot hired retired Special Forces Colonel Simon Bull to bust his people out of prison in Iran and take across the desert to Turkey. (Documented in the book, On Wings of Eagles.)

A contractor assigned to a NEO will be in the months to come from the countries of the projected fall in government. It will develop a plan, hire of transport, and company personnel working on plan.

During the months of waiting, the contractor will deliver lectures to officers in first aid, driving at high speed, cons-monitoring operations, escape and evasion and everything should go wrong.

When a signal is given, clients meet at a rallying point and are taken by plane or by boat. There will always be two emergency plans, and most often a decoy plan is disclosed. As you can see, we can not go too much into the nuts and bolts.

Companies are like people. Most are good, some are rotten. Good realizing that their greatest assets are their people, followed by remote institutions. Although most people do not think companies like care organizations, I have seen that many care deeply attached to their people. It is those who are willing to spend real money on entrepreneurs able to parry trouble. If the problem is already there, good companies provide leadership to real soldiers to protect their staff. Then, if everything goes wrong, the best multinationals are turning to contractors for out of a bad situation.

D. Alan Johnson

Author of Asgaard

www.dalanjohnson.com

About the Author

D. Alan Johnson is the author of several books including two novels about private military contractors. Having worked as a contractor for the Department of State, the Department of Defense, and other government agencies, he has a unique view of the inner workings of Africa and Latin America.

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