As the cost involved in raising and maintaining a fighting force in the field has increased exponentially in the last few decades, the number of contractors has increased as well. However, such use is hardly new, as private military contractors have served in key support areas since the Revolutionary War. General George Washington’s army was about 18% contractors, and that …

One of the most comprehensive looks at the industry yet concludes that there will never be another war that does not feature private military contractors in a prominent role. In a broader sense, the rise of military contractors took place in a unique geopolitical environment. Because of the Cold War’s end, there are more international conflicts than ever before and …

At one point during the Iraq War, soldiers at Joint Base Balad, deep inside the infamous Sunni Triangle, burned 200 tons of waste a day in a 10-acre, open-air pit. Soldiers doused human waste, mechanical parts, medical waste, radio batteries, and all the other waste of war with JP-8 jet fuel, which released clouds of benzene gas as it burned. …

A proposed 14.5% workers’ compensation insurance rate increase will remain in effect unless the First District Court of Appeal rules otherwise, according to a recent decision from that body. In November of 2016, a district judge struck down the National Council on Compensation Insurance’s proposed increase because the NCCI did not comply with public hearings requirements and held closed-door meetings …

While business groups look to retake ground they first obtained in 2003, labor groups are gearing up to take advantage of the chance they see to redo the entire system in Florida. In December of 2016, the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee began preparations for what will probably be a session-long debate on the subject. Recently, state regulators approved a …

Because of a legal loophole, safety procedures were dangerously inadequate at a Cantonment nitrous oxide plant, and the lax environment led to a chemical explosion that killed one person, according to the Chemical Safety Board. Although there are a number of federal rules and guidelines for hazardous chemical productions, these protocols do not technically apply to nitrous oxide. So, during …

As state senators review a comprehensive workers’ compensation reform law, the traditional pro-business Republican and pro-labor Democrats are lining up on either side. Alarmed after a 14.5% insurance premium increase, Republicans in the House passed a bill that’s designed to “reduce attorney involvement in the system,” according to Rep. Danny Burgess (R-Zephyrhills). The House measure caps attorneys’ fees at $150 …

During World War II, several Hollywood directors left Tinseltown to create movies about the war that would inform and entertain the folks at home. The conflict changed all of them, and their wounds summarize the difficulties many returning military contractors face. When John Ford shipped off to Midway in early 1942, he believed that it would be a quiet, out-of-the-way …

More private contractors will soon be on the front line as tensions continue to simmer between North Korea and the United States. The Department of Defense (DoD) just awarded Gilbane a $133 million contract to expand Camp Humphreys, which is essentially between Seoul and Anjeong-ri. The strategically located Camp Humphreys is already home to the busiest Army airfield on the …

The Trump administration has reduced the usage of military contractors, a decline that may be a one-off aberration or may be the beginning of a trend. The U.S. government currently employs about 42,000 translators, security personnel, administrators, and other private contractors overseas, a figure that has dropped about 10% since the last days of the Obama administration. Since 2015, the …

The Supreme Court of the United States refused to dismiss a pair of disputes between KBR and former military contractors injured in Afghanistan and Iraq. In court documents, the Houston-based firm said that it had the same immunity to lawsuits from injured servicepeople that the United States government enjoyed. Furthermore, the judicial branch has no inherent authority to issue decisions …

The uncertainty over the change in presidential administrations that has affected some other sectors has not had any measurable impact on civilian contractor overseas jobs, according to Charmaine Bell at Engility Corporation. However, that is subject to change depending on “what’s happening around the world, the federal budget, and of course the current political landscape,” she added. For the most …