Contractors in Iraq & Afghanistan: Background & Issues

The United States relies on contractors to provide a wide variety of services in Iraq and Afghanistan, including security. Private firms known as private security contractors (PSCs) are hired to protect individuals, transport convoys, forward operating bases, buildings, and other economic infrastructure, as well as train security forces. While DOD has previously contracted for security in Bosnia and elsewhere, it appears that in Iraq and Afghanistan DOD is for the first time relying heavily on armed contractors to provide security during combat or stability operations. As of September 2009, there were almost 22,000 armed private security contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan. This book examines current private security contractor trends in Iraq and Afghanistan and the steps the DOD has taken to improve oversight and management and the role of incorporating security contractors into its doctrine and strategy.