With international tensions rising in the South China Sea, what was once a sleepy little island in the South Pacific is becoming an important forward operating base for the DoD and private military contractors. In the airplanes’ first overseas deployment, a pair of MQ-4C Triton reconnaissance drones recently arrived in Guam. The Northrop-Grumman has a 60,000-foot cruising altitude and can …
When American military contractors are injured in the line of duty, they can count on the Defense Base Act. But when Russian mercenaries are injured in places like Syria, they have no such assurances. Olga Markelova lost her ex-husband and the father of her baby in Syria. Dmitri Markelova had left the Russian military to join the Wagner Group. Under …
A federal judge said jurors “got it right” when they found former contractor Nicholas Slatten guilty of murder in December 2018. The judge sentenced him to life in prison. The matter first went to trial in December 2008, when the U.S. Attorneys’ Office initiated action against Slatten and four other Iraq War contractors. Just before the trial began in 2010, …
A jury may decide if CACI Premier Technology is legally responsible for prisoner abuses which occurred over a decade ago in Iraq, according to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. The contractor in charge of the controversial prison had invoked the sovereign immunity defense. This doctrine shields governmental units from liability lawsuits, unless Congress or the appropriate …
Moscow and Beijing are ramping up their policial, economic, social, and military presence in Africa, and the Trump Administration is worried. National Security Advisor John Bolton, as well as the current and former heads of the U.S. Africa Command, all stated that Russia and China have already made significant inroads in about a dozen African countries. Additionally, 39 of Africa’s …
A new research center in New Jersey should help Iraq veterans struggling with burn pit-related illnesses get the treatment they need. Professionals at the new Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence will conduct research and also create partnerships to help returning War on Terror veterans who were exposed to burn pit smoke in Southwest Asia. Dr. Anays Sotolongo, …
Recent events suggest that private military contractors bear the brunt of the action in this war-torn country, as two contractors were killed in two separate incidents in June 2017. Retired Chief Warrant Officer Four Christian H. McCoy, a 30-year veteran of the Special Forces, lost his life when his armored vehicle exploded at an undisclosed location inside Afghanistan. At the …
For the first time, Russian President Vladimir Putin recently acknowledged that private military contractors were in-county supporting strongman Bashar al-Assad. However, Putin insisted that these fighters served no official purpose and were only there to support private “oil exploration” efforts. These mercenaries belong to the shadowy Wagner Group, an organization with links to alleged 2016 election meddler Yevgeny Prigozhin. Moreover, …
America has been engaged in these Southwest Asia wars since shortly after 9/11, and contractors have long played a key role in these conflicts. Until now, little has been known about the men and women who fought and died here. Many details are still unavailable, largely due to proprietary and security concerns. So, to get a better idea of who …
After continued government inaction, the United Nations released a report which blamed police and government officials in Haiti for the massacre which killed about two dozen people. About 5,000 people live in the La Saline neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. This sector is known for violent gang activity. In November 2018, according to the U.N. report, the National Police of Haiti (PNH) …
Gunshot wounds, falls, and other sudden trauma injuries make up most of the contractor injuries in places like Iraq. However, some contractor injuries occur slowly over time. These creeping illnesses are just as devastating as sudden trauma injuries. So, injury compensation is available in both cases. The Defense Base Act provides compensation to most contractors who were injured overseas. Even …
Russian mercenaries are reportedly already boots-on-the-ground in the Central African Republic. Can American contractors be far behind? According to sources, Russian mercenary Yevgeny Prigozhin agreed to help embattled CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadera assert greater control over the country. This assistance included not only mercenaries, but also Valery Zakahrov. The CAR’s national security advisor is supposedly a Russian intelligence agent. Meanwhile, …
