Recent U.S. overseas contracting developments show that civilian contractor work is not simply ending as older military missions change. Instead, work is moving into new programs, new locations, and new contractual structures. During September 2026, the United States extended major support work in Iraq, authorized new defense areas in Greenland, awarded long-term base support in Italy and Guantanamo Bay, expanded engineering and logistics work across the Pacific, and continued large foreign military sales programs.
These changes matter to civilian contractors because Defense Base Act coverage often depends on the contract, subcontract, work location, employer, and date of injury. A change in the name of a military mission does not necessarily end covered employment. Likewise, a large contract announcement does not prove that workers have already deployed. The underlying task order, assignment records, and insurance policy remain critical.
Iraq work continues even as the military mission changes
The United States has scheduled the military phase of Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq to conclude on September 30, 2026. That transition does not mean all U.S.-supported contractor work in Iraq will end. On September 22, the Air Force awarded V2X Systems a contract modification worth up to approximately $231.8 million for base operations, life support, and security supporting Iraq’s F-16 program at Martyr BG Ali Flaih Air Base, formerly Balad Air Base. The work is expected to continue through July 17, 2027 and is funded through Foreign Military Sales to Iraq.
For contractors, the distinction is important. An employee may move from a coalition-support assignment to an FMS, training, security-assistance, or diplomatic-support program without leaving Iraq. The responsible employer or insurance carrier may also change if the worker transfers between task orders, corporate entities, or subcontractors. Employment records should therefore identify the exact contract and assignment rather than relying only on a general description such as OIR, LOGCAP, or Iraq F-16 support.
Hostile attacks can create claims even without a direct physical impact
On September 8, Iran attacked Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, also known as Al-Azraq, in Jordan. Reporting later confirmed damage to U.S. military aircraft. Public reports did not identify whether civilian contractors were injured or which support contractors were present, but the event illustrates the range of possible contractor exposures at aviation and logistics installations.
A contractor does not have to be struck by a missile or debris to suffer a potentially compensable injury. Blast pressure, prolonged alarms, emergency movement, sheltering, falls, perceived threats of death, and repeated exposure to attacks can result in psychological injuries, hearing loss, tinnitus, headaches, traumatic brain injury symptoms, or orthopedic injuries. Personnel rosters, accountability reports, security alerts, shelter logs, medical records, and evacuation communications can become important evidence.
New bases and long-term support contracts are creating new contractor populations
Several September developments may produce new groups of overseas workers or extend existing work for years:
• Greenland: On September 22, the United States, Denmark, and Greenland signed an agreement establishing U.S. defense areas at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig and permitting expansion at Pituffik Space Base. No major construction contract or workforce deployment has yet been publicly announced, but future work may include construction, communications, environmental services, transportation, maintenance, and base operations. The agreement’s preference for Greenlandic sources may create additional local subcontractor relationships.
• Italy: CBRE Government & Defense Services received a base-operations contract for Naval Air Station Sigonella in Sicily with a potential value of approximately $75.3 million and a performance period extending to December 2034. Because the initial award obligated no funds, individual task orders and actual staffing dates will show when work begins and which employees are assigned.
• Guantanamo Bay: Centerra Integrated Services received a $49.5 million job-order contract for repairs, alterations, maintenance, and minor construction at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay through 2031. The Defense Base Act expressly covers qualifying employment at Guantanamo Bay, and the initial seed task indicates that performance can begin without waiting for the full contract ceiling to be used.
• Australia Palau and the Pacific: Tyonek Services Group received long-term maintenance and logistics work that includes Australia and Palau. InSynergy Engineering also received a $49 million fire-protection engineering contract expected to concentrate work in Guam, with smaller shares in Tinian, Australia, Diego Garcia, Japan, and South Korea. These are IDIQ vehicles, so later task orders, travel records, and site assignments will determine whether and where particular employees actually worked.
• Poland: The United States and Poland reported progress toward a possible permanent U.S. Army base, but no final site, funding decision, or contractor has been announced. Until those details exist, this remains a procurement and workforce indicator rather than proof of covered employment.
Foreign military sales may support overseas work but headlines do not prove deployment
Pratt & Whitney received a multi-country engineering and technical-support contract involving Argentina, Greece, South Korea, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Morocco, Iraq, Taiwan, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia. The contract may create assignments for engineers, maintainers, trainers, and field representatives, but each worker’s task order and travel authorization will establish the actual worksite and dates.
The State Department also approved proposed multibillion-dollar military sales involving Saudi F-35 aircraft and Ukrainian air-defense development. Those approvals are not the same as completed overseas service contracts. The public notices stated that the proposed sales did not presently require additional U.S. government or contractor representatives in the receiving countries. Future training, site activation, field engineering, sustainment, or logistics awards could change that picture, but deployment should not be assumed from the sales announcements alone.
A pending State Department insurance agreement could affect future carrier identification
The State Department is also procuring a department-wide Defense Base Act insurance rate agreement. Solicitation 19AQMM26Q0155 seeks an approved U.S. insurer to provide DBA coverage for State Department contracts, subcontracts, and eligible overseas grant activity. As of September 28, 2026, quotations were due September 30 and no award had been announced.
If a new insurer is selected, claims arising near the transition may require careful review of the injury date, policy effective date, underlying agency contract, employer, labor category, country, and any policy endorsements. Contractors should not assume that the carrier handling an older claim is necessarily responsible for a later injury or for work performed after a contract transfer.
What overseas contractors should preserve
Contractor injuries often occur during periods when missions, employers, and worksites are changing. Employees should retain records that identify both the injury and the employment relationship, including:
• Contract records: offer letters, employment agreements, badges, task-order information, deployment orders, travel authorizations, and demobilization or reassignment notices.
• Employer information: the full legal names of the prime contractor, direct employer, staffing company, and any subcontractors involved in the assignment.
• Worksite evidence: timesheets, payroll records, flight records, lodging information, site-access records, and documents showing the dates worked at each location.
• Incident evidence: security alerts, shelter or accountability reports, photographs, messages, witness names, medical-evacuation records, and reports made to supervisors.
• Insurance information: policy declarations, claim correspondence, carrier and claims-administrator names, policy numbers, and documents showing any change in coverage.
• Medical evidence: prompt records of physical and psychological symptoms, including hearing changes, headaches, sleep disturbance, anxiety, orthopedic pain, and symptoms that appeared after the event rather than immediately.
Contract changes do not automatically end Defense Base Act rights
The central lesson from these developments is that overseas contractor work is shifting rather than disappearing. A troop withdrawal, mission rename, base transfer, or new foreign military sales arrangement may change the evidence needed to establish coverage and identify the responsible employer and carrier. It does not, by itself, eliminate a worker’s rights under the Defense Base Act.
If you were injured while working overseas under a U.S. government contract or subcontract, or if your assignment changed during a drawdown, contract transition, or transfer to a new program, please contact our office to discuss whether the Defense Base Act applies and what records should be preserved.
Chase H. Zobec & Brian C. Karsen
Barnett, Lerner, Karsen, Zobec, P.A.
Advocates for Injured Civilian Contractors Worldwide
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. If you believe you have a potential DBA claim, consult an attorney experienced in Defense Base Act litigation to evaluate your case.