Private Security Firms Possibility in US Afghan Strategy Jeff Seldin — U.S. policymakers are “very, very close” to a new military strategy for Afghanistan and South Asia, but options still range from withdrawal to an increased reliance on private security contractors. “I believe we are close,” Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters late Monday, cautioning […]
Civilian federal employees serving in combat zones would receive the same tax credit available to military personnel who work alongside them, under a new bipartisan bill. The Combat Zone Tax Parity Act (H.R. 4621) aims to address a shortage of civilian workers staffing dangerous regions by extending a federal income tax break to those employees. Civilian […]
The retreat of American forces from Iraq in 2011 and relative security stability in following years have questioned again the status and role of foreign private security companies in the new context. Both Iraqi Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior have conducted a massive recruiting policy, as per 2014 the total number of employees […]
Some 100 US troops have been sent to Lashkar Gah, capital of Afghanistan’s Helmand province, where the Taliban is advancing and opium cultivation is booming. A new report shows various support contractors outnumber US troops in the country more than three to one. The US contingent has arrived in Lashkar Gah with a mission to […]
By Ed O'Keefe — Interested in working for the U.S. government in Iraq? Though the dangers are obvious, the pay and perks can be pretty good. Federal employees and contractors serving here face an almost-daily barrage of rocket attacks, the inability to travel freely, scorching hot temperatures and other cultural and linguistic limitations. But workers with the […]