Pentagon contractors return to Iraq in droves: Report
The number of private contractors working for the Pentagon in Iraq has grown eightfold over the past year as the United States amplified its military presence there to “train and advise” Iraqi soldiers battling Daesh (ISIL) terrorists.
The sharp increase underscores the US military’s reliance on civilians for missions involving a small number of troops, the Defense One reported, citing data by the Pentagon.
As of January, 2,028 Pentagon contractors were working in Iraq, up from 250 one year earlier. In addition, another 5,800 are working for other US agencies, including the State Department.
“What’s occurred then is as you deploy more forces to theater, you have to provide increased total number of contractors,” said Rick Brennan, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corp. and a retired Army officer.
Nearly one third of contractors currently work in logistics jobs and maintenance, one in five are translators and less than 15 percent are in base support positions. Others work in security, training, communication support, construction and other areas.
The US withdrew its military forces from Iraq in 2011, but many contractors stayed behind working at the sprawling US embassy in Baghdad or in logistical roles.
Congress ordered the Pentagon to provide information about battlefield contractors in other countries after mercenaries with Blackwater killed 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad in September 2007.
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