BACKGROUND: This report provides Department of Defense (DoD) contractor personnel numbers for 4th quarter Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) and current status of efforts underway to improve management of contractors accompanying United States (U.S.) Forces. It includes data on DoD contractor personnel deployed in Afghanistan, Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (OFS); Iraq and Syria, Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR); and the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) area of responsibility (AOR).
KEY POINTS: During 4th quarter FY20, USCENTCOM reported approximately 43,809 contractor personnel supporting DoD in the USCENTCOM AOR, a decrease of approximately 5,128 from the previous quarter.
o Contractor Posture: Approximately 22,562 DoD contractors supported operations in Afghanistan during 4th quarter FY20, a decrease of 12% from 3rd quarter FY20. Local Nationals comprise 22.5% of total contractor force; 17,495 US/TCN remain in Afghanistan. The decrease is attributed to continued troop reductions and base closures.
o A total of 1,813 Private Security Contractors (PSCs) personnel were supporting USCENTCOM operations in Afghanistan as of 4th quarter FY20. A detailed summary is provided in the following table.
CONTRACTOR SUPPORT OF U.S. OPERATIONS IN THE USCENTCOM AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY
BACKGROUND: This report provides Department of Defense (DoD) contractor personnel numbers for 3rd quarter Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) and current status of efforts underway to improve management of contractors accompanying United States (U.S.) Forces. It includes data on DoD contractor personnel deployed in Afghanistan, Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (OFS); Iraq and Syria, Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR); and the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) area of responsibility (AOR).
KEY POINTS: During 3rd quarter FY20, USCENTCOM reported approximately 48,937 contractor personnel supporting DoD in the USCENTCOM AOR, a decrease of approximately 3,205 from the previous quarter.
o Contractor Posture: Approximately 25,650 DoD contractors supported operations in Afghanistan during 3rd quarter FY20, a decrease of 7.2% from 2nd quarter FY20. Local Nationals comprise 22.3% of total contractor force; 19,939 US/TCN remain in Afghanistan. This decrease is attributed to continued troop reductions, base closures, and the evacuation of “at-risk” COVID-19 contractor personnel.
o A total of 2,437 Private Security Contractors (PSCs) personnel were supporting USCENTCOM operations in Afghanistan as of 3rd quarter FY20. A detailed summary is provided in the table below.
Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO) executes Baltic Operations 2020 (BALTOPS 20) from its newly functional Joint Operations Center (JOC).
Fully operational and mission-ready, STRIKFORNATO is commanding and controlling assigned forces from their new JOC inside their Headquarters for the first time.
The redevelopment of our headquarters infrastructure and the overhaul of our Joint Operations Center has been a major project during my time at STRIKFORNATO, said STRIKFORNATO Deputy Commander, Rear Adm. Guy Robinson OBE.
“I am delighted to now see it up and running, delivering enhanced capability and underpinning our delivery of BALTOPS 20.”
U.S. Navy Capt. Sean G. McLaren, JOC director and 29 year veteran, said there were significant improvements made in the past year with several new communication capabilities added.
“We’ve done structural things like redesigning the JOC for “stadium type” seating, adding better displays, and functional things like updating software systems to more clearly display the current operating picture,” McLaren said.
The new capabilities include recognized maritime picture viewing, air command and control, NATO common operational picture feeds, network integrated real-time information services, logistic functional areas services, video collaboration and information sharing tools, joint targeting systems for operational planning, and a tactical data link to communicate with Allied ships at sea.
This year marks the first time BALTOPS will be executed from STRIKFORNATO’s Headquarters in Oeiras, Portugal rather than from the U.S. 6th Fleet’s flagship, USS Mount Whitney (LCC20), which also serves as an Afloat Command Platform for STRIKFORNATO.
“As a Sailor, while I prefer commanding operations and exercises at sea, this capability in our headquarters provides an immediate and alternative option for us in line with our high readiness status,” Robinson said. “The strength and resilience of the NATO Alliance is further demonstrated by conducting exercises and operations from various locations depending on the circumstances.”
Although being afloat may enhance the ability to conduct mission planning, while also decreasing certain operational risks, the JOC at STRIKFORNATO enables NATO to demonstrate capability and interoperability with allies and mission partners.
“This provides us an additional command and control option either in the early stages of a developing crisis or in the event than an afloat command location is not available,” McLaren said.
This enhanced capability demonstrates STRIKFORNATO’s flexibility and ability to overcome limitations that might hinder other forces from reaching operational functionality.
“We have a deterrence mission and our improved capabilities ensure we are able to conduct joint operations in adverse conditions amid a global humanitarian crisis,” McLaren said.
STRIKFORNATO provides a Joint Battle Staff, Operational Command directly to Supreme Allied Command Europe, to deliver a rapidly deployable and scalable headquarters capable of planning and executing full spectrum joint maritime expeditionary operations and providing command and control of maritime Ballistic Missile Defense, primarily through integration of U.S. naval and amphibious forces, in order to provide assurance, deterrence, and collective defense for the Alliance.
