REPORT FOREIGN POLICY — Military analysts trying to understand the stunning collapse of the Afghan military is increasingly pointing to the departure of U.S. government contractors starting a month ago as one of the key turning points.

The Afghans had relied on contractors for everything from training and gear maintenance to preparing them for intelligence gathering and close air support in their battles against Taliban fighters.

When deployed troops buy whatever they need, if they pay in cash, they won't be given pennies, nickels, dimes, or quarters as change. Instead, they'll be given cardboard coins (colloquially called "pogs," like the 90s toys). And, now, coin collectors are going crazy for them.

Depending on where in Iraq or Afghanistan troops are stationed, they may have easy access to an AAFES (Army & Air Force Exchange Service) store. Bigger airfields have larger stores that sell all an airman could want — meanwhile, outlying FOBs are just happy that their AAFES truck didn't blow up this month.

BACKGROUND: This report provides Department of Defense (DoD) contractor personnel numbers for 3rd quarter Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) 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).

Leaving Afghanistan Will Be More Expensive Than Anyone Expects

Penalties for broken contracts, fees for shipping equipment, and salaries for the Afghan military are just a few of the costs that will hit the United States as it leaves.

U.S. President Joe Biden has announced the full withdrawal of U.S. and coalition forces from Afghanistan by Sept. 11 this year. This policy has some in Washington banking on a windfall of freed-up money for other defense priorities.

Don’t count on it.

An American military contractor was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for her role in a theft ring on a military installation in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Varita V. Quincy, 35, of Snellville, Georgia pleaded guilty on Oct. 13, 2020, to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and commit theft of property of value to the United States and one count of making false statements. According to court documents, Quincy admitted that, between April 2015 and July 2015, she and others conspired to and did steal the property of value to the United States including generators, a truck, and other items worth over $150,000. Larry Green, one of her co-conspirators, negotiated the sale of the stolen property with a third-country national middleman, who in turn facilitated the sale of the items to unknown persons in Kandahar.

According to the Department of Defense (DoD) a company out of Reston, Virginia, was awarded an additional $10,703,000 to contract W31P4Q-18-A-0011 for system optimization engineering and live-virtual modeling to the Counter Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device and associated force protection systems.

Work will be performed in Afghanistan, the United Arab Emirates, and Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of March 30, 2022.

BACKGROUND: This report provides Department of Defense (DoD) contractor personnel numbers for 1st quarter Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) and the current status of efforts underway to improve management of contractors accompanying the 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 1st quarter FY21, USCENTCOM reported approximately 38,164 contractor personnel supporting DoD in the USCENTCOM AOR, a decrease of approximately 5,645 from the previous quarter.

According to the Department of Defense (DoD), Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded an additional $52,301,773 to contract W58RGZ-19-C-0025 for support of various Army Model Design Series aircraft and equipment in support of deployed units.

Work will be performed in the U.S., Afghanistan, Kosovo, Kuwait and Germany, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2021. 

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.

According to the Department of Defense (DoD), a company out of Colorado Springs, Colorado, had $116,821,426 to a previously awarded contract.

The contract will be for the continued support of critical operation, maintenance, and defense of Army communications, which supports the Army Operational Base Communications Information Systems and infrastructure in support of U.S. Central Command forces.

According to the Department of Defense (DoD) a company out of Mesa, Arizona, was awarded a $35,823,838 to contract for logistics support for the Afghanistan Air Force MD-530F aircraft fleet.

Work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona; and Kabul, Afghanistan, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2020.

BACKGROUND: This report provides Department of Defense (DoD) contractor personnel numbers for 2nd 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 2nd quarter FY20, USCENTCOM reported approximately 52,142 contractor personnel supporting DoD in the USCENTCOM AOR, an increase of approximately 1,678 from the previous quarter.