In 2019, private military contractors in places like Cuba will receive higher Basic Allowance for Housing payments than their counterparts in the U.S. military. The extension is expected to cost some $1 billion over the next five years. The White House is not happy about the added expense, but it is doubtful that President Donald Trump will veto the entire …

By land and by sea, the Russians are coming to this war-torn country. Just offshore, the Kremlin recently deployed a huge flotilla of warships. Meanwhile, the Russian army declared that it would “liquidate” the rebels remaining in the stronghold of Idlib. There are already 10 surface warships and two submarines off the coast, and more vessels may be on the …

In response to growing evidence of serious harm, the Defense Inspector General said it will look into the legality of burn pits in Iraq, as well as contractor oversight in this area. For years, many advocates have called for increased oversight and investigation in this area. They charge that burn pits are illegal, and that the contractors who maintain them …

Over the past several decades, the combat role of women has expanded exponentially, especially in places like Afghanistan. Some researchers are concerned that the incidents of female Post Traumatic Stress Disorder have increased even more quickly. A group of doctors looked at female Air Force veterans. Not surprisingly, PTSD incidents increased as the women had more combat experiences. Unit cohesiveness …

After his meeting with President Donald Trump apparently failed to gain traction, Eric Prince took his ideas for the Afghanistan War to YouTube. In a July video, Mr. Prince accused the DoD of “squandering” resources in the 12-year war. Private contractors could do a better job for “a fraction” of the cost, he claims. In fact, just 6,000 private contractors …

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 …