In the second quarter of 2018, the U.S. Central Command used significantly more contractors in places like Syria. Most of these contractors served in Afghanistan under the banner of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. Some 26,000 contractors, including about 15,000 foreign nationals, served in this theater. About 5,500 contractors served in Iraq and Syria in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. The report …

Six3 Intelligence Solutions recently received a $10 million contract to provide services in Syria, Italy, and Germany. The company is a division of CACI International. The company’s CEO called the contract “the biggest deal in CACI’s 51-year history.” The intelligence support branch of the company could eventually mean $15 billion in new business, he added. CACI’s prior contributions to the …

Under many state laws, most firefighter cancer diagnoses related to a carcinogenic substance are presumed to be employment-related. Does the same logic apply to burn pit injuries in Iraq or Afghanistan? Over 3.7 million War on Terrorism veterans were exposed to burn pits. Many of these individuals developed serious lung diseases and even cancer. Yet the Veterans Administration refuses to …

As the nature of combat changes, the nature of combat-related injuries is changes, as well. That is especially true for Afghanistan contractors, like the one described below, who work with the drone program. Like many other Americans, Christopher Aaron signed up to do his part in the War on Terror shortly after 9/11. By 2006, he worked with the nascent …

In a Tet Offensive-style attack, Taliban fighters killed about 30 soldiers and captured a major military installation during a post-Eid ceasefire attack. After a three-day truce, Provincial governor Abdul Ghafoor Malikzai said the Taliban attacked two installations shortly after dawn. The heavy fighting also killed four government soldiers elsewhere in the province and at least 15 Taliban fighters. In the …

Some of the same guards who keep a watchful eye on inebriated soccer fanatics during the World Cup Finals in Russia were recently fighting clandestine wars for the Motherland in the Ukraine and Syria. Can we expect private military contractors to perform the same duties when the Finals come to North America in 2026? Some 800 Cossacks with over a …

The federal courts cannot second-guess the Department of Defense (DoD)’s wartime decisions and therefore Iraq War veterans have no legal recourse for their burn pit injuries, according to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Does this case also cut off compensation for injured private military contractors? Several dozen lawsuits against KBR allege that company-maintained burn pits bellowed …

Mostly for logistical and political reasons, contractors from America and mercenaries from Russia are the sharp end of the stick for their respective nations in what amounts to a modern-day Scramble for Africa. In fact, the ratio of contractors to servicemembers is almost one to one in many places. As they do in other parts of the world, some contractors …

COMING TO LIMA, PERU Periodically we travel throughout the world to meet with clients. We are happy to announce that we will be traveling to Lima, Peru in early October 2018 to meet with certain clients. If you need to meet with one of our attorneys regarding your case while we are in Lima, please let us know. Further, if …

Most people believe that postwar reconstruction in Syria will be a largely private effort. There are indications that combat operations might be privatized, as well, thus fulfilling Blackwater founder Erik Prince’s vision. Russia has already largely privatized operations in Syria. Wagner Group mercenaries usually take on the toughest combat assignments. Despite international law restrictions, these mercenaries supposedly enter Syria by …

Even a Traumatic Brain Injury that does not cause a loss of consciousness doubles the risk of dementia later in life, according to a recent study. Researchers already knew the link between concussions and more serious TBIs and dementia. The mild TBI-dementia link is new information, however. To reach their conclusions, researchers discounted other factors such as age and medical …

Wherever they go, overseas contractors fill important political and logistical roles that regular service members could not possibly fill. Politically, private military contractors allow the U.S. to flex its military muscle while downplaying the commitment of troops. That pitch plays well to the people at home and also to the locals. Both groups are anxious to have all the benefits …