Contractors on the Battlefield

<p>Contracting for services is not new. Throughout the history of warfare armies used the services of non-military personnel or civilians to accomplish logistical functions to maintain the force and support combat operations. Colonial forces in the Revolutionary war relied on contracted teamsters for services at Valley Forge. United States forces have continued to rely on contractors to provide support from the Revolutionary War to the Gulf War. In Bosnia contractors provided fifty-two types of support - from LifeCycle® treadmills to helicopter maintenance by Bell and Boeing. Continued budgetary pressure however will force the military to further outsource services to industry. The logistics focus is not merely the amassing and storage of material and equipment but ultimately the timely and balanced arrival of resources to the forces in need. Using responsiveness flexibility and economy as criteria to determine the level of risk; this paper answers if the United States Army's theater services contracting path presents unacceptable risk to successful operations. The author argues that the United States military (specifically the Army) due to budgetary pressure has accepted an unreasonable risk with its policy towards contractors on the battlefield. The recommendations include numerous methods to mitigate risk. These recommendations include changes in leadership planning training and doctrine. Training and doctrine for contractors on the battlefield form the framework for the leadership through anticipatory planning to develop habitual relationships between contractor and soldier solidifying the bond ensuring successful mission accomplishment.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p><br>