Former Army Specialist Winston Hencely says that the private military contractor firm is responsible for the injuries he sustained prior to a Veterans’ Day 5k run at Afghanistan’s Bagram Airfield. According to court documents, Specl. Hencely confronted Fluor employee and former Taliban member Ahmad Nayeb about his presence on the base. It turns out that Nayeb was wearing a suicide …
The shadowy Wagner Group continues to pop up in places where the Russian Bear has national interests, but the Kremlin fears to tread. Meanwhile, American private military contractors continue to serve a more limited, and much more well-regulated, international role in places like Iraq. Wagner mercenaries recently surfaced in Venezuela, where embattled strongman Nicolas Maduro is trying to remain in …
After almost two decades of conflict, peace may finally be coming to the war-torn country. Even if that happens, contractors in Afghanistan will probably not be packing their bags and heading home anytime soon. After almost a week of talks in Qatar, chief American negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad announced that both sides had agreed for Afghanistan to be a terrorist-free zone …
Varuzhan Karapetian, whom many consider to be one of the last major state-sponsored terrorists, passed away of an apparent heart attack in his native Armenia. Today’s terrorists in Iraq and elsewhere are a much different breed, and their methods demand a much different approach. Karapetian, who was a Syrian of Armenian descent, was the former head of the Armenian Secret …
Researchers at Harvard Medical School believe that Tardigrades — tiny, hardy creatures — may secrete protein which can reverse the brain damage that so many Iraq and Syria veterans sustained while they were in-county. Doctors theorize that these creatures release proteins that slow tissue damage and even prevent cell death altogether. The team believes that the experiment could have a …
The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the final appeal in a veteran’s lawsuit against KBR, putting an end to a court fight that had lasted the better part of a decade. But former Iraq War contractors still have legal options available when it comes to compensation for their injuries. Under direction from military commanders, KBR contractors constructed a number …
If American forces withdraw from the war-torn country as planned, many observers believe that private military contractors should remain behind to uphold American interests and protect the civilian population. On December 14, 2018, a combined U.S./Syrian Democratic Forces army cleared one of the last ISIS strongholds in the country. That victory prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to announce that their …
As recently as August 2018, outgoing Defense Secretary James Mattis dismissed the idea of a privatized war in Afghanistan. Now that he is gone, could Blackwater founder Erik Prince’s vision become a reality? In the wake of his departure and President Donald Trump’s plan to pull out some 7,000 troops from the war-torn country, Blackwater USA took out a full …
Key lawmakers joined with a nationwide advocacy group to rally support for the Burn Pits Accountability Act, which already enjoys broad bipartisan support. IAVA (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America) joined with Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) and Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), urging lawmakers to fast-track the Burn Pits Accountability Act. This proposal, which has 147 co-sponsors, would provide medical evaluations …
Much of the research regarding brain injuries and Iraq veterans focuses on men, but women bear the same combat responsibilities as men. A recent study attempted to bridge the gender gap. Dr. Kristine Yaffe and her colleagues at the University of San Francisco reviewed over 100,000 female service records. They concluded that women with PTSD, TBI, and/or depression were twice …
Overseas military contractors enjoy a number of financial benefits. Contractors usually earn two or three times more pay than their counterparts who work for Uncle Sam in places like Haiti. Much or all of this money is tax free. Many other contractors enjoy financial benefits like free or subsidized housing and per diem allowances. However, things are not all wine …
Pancreatic cancer recently killed one of the highest-ranking members of the Vermont National Guard. Brigadier Gen. Michael T. Heston passed away just a few days after he voluntarily ceased pancreatic cancer treatments and turned to hospice care. Gen. Heston’s wife June said that “He stopped chemo and then started radiation treatment until two weeks ago, when they told him that …
