(POC) — Private military contractors refer to corporations whose mandate is to offer military services, including maintenance, strategic planning, procurement, intelligence collection, training, logistical support, and combat operations. Besides, they provide many essential services such as support services, security services, and protection of multinational economic interests in hostile regions. There is a rapid growth of private military companies globally due to increased demand for services that relate to war or conflict.

When you are a military soldier and firing at an enemy alongside several other soldiers, you don’t know if it was your gun, your bullet, that killed someone. “I’d rather not know,” says Stephen Friday, who spent 12 years in the British army before becoming a private military contractor (PMC) in 2008, working in Iraq and Afghanistan. The first time he ever shot somebody and knew about it “was as a PMC. The firefights were a lot closer, a lot more personal.” It was also more dangerous.

Private military contractors are private companies that provide the same services as a private military, but instead of being employed by a government or state, they work for private organizations. The private organization hires them to protect their employees and assets while providing security in high-risk areas. They can be hired by anyone from an individual to a corporation, non-governmental organization (NGO), or multinational company.

From the earliest years of our nation’s history, the military has relied on contracting to support its missions. Effective administration of these contracts has been vitally important to the well-being and success of our warfighters. It has helped ensure that contractors met their contractual requirements for cost, schedule, and technical performance. To a large extent, the success of any procurement action has and continues to hinge on how well it is administered during its performance.

A private firm recruiting for a position in Ukraine has posted a position offering up to $60,000 per month. Russia has already warned that mercenaries who join the fight in Ukraine are not entitled to prisoner of war status. The private firm is looking for former military agents for covert operations inside the country. They also added there's a good chance you'll come face-to-face with death squads and private militias dispatched by the Kremlin.

The danger and demand of contracting jobs in combat zones may have benefits worth packing your bags for. Most contractors working overseas make anywhere from $80,000  to $250,000 plus a year. Defense contracting has expanded dramatically over the last decade, particularly in the United States, where in the last fiscal year the Department of Defense alone spent nearly $316 billion on contracts overseas.

The demand for Private Military Contractors (PMC) in Ukraine is rising by the day, as experts see “a frenzy in the market” for security personnel consisting primarily of former soldiers with combat experience. According to the BBC, some PMC companies are offering between $1,000 and $2,000 a day, excluding bonuses, for those with combat experience who are willing to make the trip to the war-torn country.

Jonathan Powell — Private military and security companies have been regular fixtures in conflicts across the globe. For Africa, these corporations became increasingly visible with their role in civil wars in Angola and Sierra Leone.

More recently, reports in 2015 indicated the Nigerian government contracted a number of companies to aid in counterinsurgency efforts targeting Boko Haram.

"There are a lot of assumptions about contractors, and a lot of the assumptions are wrong." Those are the words of a private security contractor who asked to be referred to only as "Lloyd" for this story because like most of his colleagues he is not authorized to speak to the media.

By Lloyd's count, he has spent some 1,000 days working in Afghanistan in the past four years. He, like many other well-trained military men, decided to leave his position as a Navy SEAL and take his chances finding employment in one of the hot spots around the world where highly skilled contractors were well-paid, and in demand.

In recent years, U.S. military operations in Africa have greatly expanded. Washington has established forward operating locations (FOL) and drone bases. It has helped various African countries, like Liberia, retrain their militaries. It has tried to track rebel groups like the Lord’s Resistance Army and the East African terrorist group like Al-Shabaab. The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) has been involved in wide-ranging activities.

Thanks to the work of a very few journalists—like Nick Turse who has greatly enhanced our understanding of U.S. Special Operations Forces in Africa or Craig Whitlock of The Washington Post who has exposed problems at U.S. drone bases—there’s more information about these expanded operations.

According to the Department of State, $15 billion was awarded for the Worldwide Protective Services III contract duration of up to 10 years. In being selected, Caliburn builds on its strong performance in executing current security task orders in Iraq and Somalia under the WPS II program.

“This selection indicates the Department of State’s confidence in Caliburn to protect their people and facilities overseas,” according to CEO Jim Van Dusen. “Our highly skilled team stands ready to support the Diplomatic Security Service in accomplishing its most important and sensitive missions for the Department of State.”

In 2014 American troops began returning back to Iraq. By early 2015 there were over 3,000 American troops in Iraq and about as many contractor civilians. Most of the contractors take care of supply and service tasks, in effect running bases used by American troops and government officials. Some of these civilians are armed. Then there are the PSC (Private Security Contractors).

Working with other U.S. Government agencies, the Department of Defense supports international efforts for regulation and oversight of PSCs. These efforts include the development and promotion of the Montreux Document on pertinent international legal obligations and good practices for States Related to operations of Private Military and Security Companies During Armed Conflict and promotion of the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers (ICoC).

The ICoC is applicable to PSCs working in complex environments and is a useful reference for private sector purchasers of PSC services. DoD supports the Department of State in other international efforts aimed at regulating private security and military support services.