Blackwater

[Roguish Lawyer]

I have decided to appoint TR as SECDEF in my administration.

[The Reaper]

Originally Posted by Roguish Lawyer

I have decided to appoint TR as SECDEF in my administration.

When you are elected, it would be an honor, Sir.

You got my vote. Unfortunately, since I am not a Dem, I do not intend to vote illegally, or in the same election more than once.

TR

[Maytime]

Originally Posted by The Reaper

I think the issue is that the nation does not want to pay top dollar for soldiers in peacetime, yet does not realize that you cannot create them overnight in wartime.

Sounds familiar...

Truths
Humans are more important than Hardware.

Quality is better than Quantity.

Special Operations Forces cannot be mass produced.

Competent Special Operations Forces cannot be created after emergencies occur.

TR Sir, is it safe to assume the same is [somewhat] true for competent conventional forces?

http://www.soc.mil/sofinfo/truths.shtml

[JGarcia]

Originally Posted by Roguish Lawyer
I have decided to appoint TR as SECDEF in my administration.

I was thinking the same thing! Of course then there's that messy confirmation hearing. Sir, get those skeletons cleaned up!

RE: Grooming Standards. Its rumored that one of the reasons DynCorp lost the contract in A'Stan is the lack of grooming standards. BW has standards.

One thing about DoD pay scales. I am imagining an Army with Combat Arms preferential pay scales, and I think a problem which might arise is this: As the pay goes up for trigger pullers, the number of people trying to become trigger pullers goes up, consequently more of them get turned away, they start crying and eventually the standards are lowered to allow people into the ranks of the trigger pullers. This happend before, just look at Airborne School. Not saying this will happen, just want to point out that this is a probability.

The pay scale has gone down across the board somewhat in recent months. Folks that were making $600 per day are now $500 to $550, some static gigs in injun country are as low as $300 per day. But with the prequisite experience, good background check, and a little luck most guys with some trigger time can expect the $500 to $550 range. Non US companies are paying less. Some US companies are using foreign nationals wherever possible, and they make about a third of what an American makes. Rumor has it the company gross is the same.

I think Soldiers are typically your most Patriotic citizens, willing to sacrifice for the Nation. They are the foundation of your country. They should be rewarded, and cared for, especially their families because they are the ones who will carry the torch after the Soldier has done his best. All other occupations, trades, lifestyles, and freedoms are enjoyed because a Soldier made a sacrifice. Its not wrong to pay special care to those on which your Nation is built. I don't know if its in the genes, but there are an awful lot of us, who are not 1st, 2nd, or 3rd generation riflemen. We should care for that group of Americans, commensurate with the risk they take and the benefits they provide.

Its fine if you don't want to compensate a Soldier with cash because you think it will cost us the moral high ground. But then provide the Soldier with first rate food, health care, real property when he leaves service, college for his kids, etc. Give him what he would buy if he had the money. But demand excellent performance from him as well.

[NousDefionsDoc]

Great post MRF54. The only thing I will say is that the corporate culture can take years to trickle down. In today's world, we don't have years or even months. I agree there are people trying. I also agree there are holes - some of them you can drive a truck through.

Boss,
I will have to disagree with the "carrying guns should be a soldier". Soldiers do not and should not be doing PSD for example. Yes, I know there are people that can do it - we did it for Endara when he finally took office. We also winged it. But PSD is not a soldier function. I also know there is room for contractors in the training realm, kgoerz and I are living proof. It is a good way for old broke dudes to pass on what we managed to learn by making mistakes and free up the 18Xers to kick doors. What we do requires a maturity level (I know, I know, I'm the exception) beyond what is found on many A-Teams today. I know back in the day I wasn't ready for class after class after class - now I don't have a problem with it.

There is a place for good contractors outside of the dining facility and the laundry room. It can be of equitable benefit - the pay is much more commisarate with the expereince level than AD.

MRF54 hit the nail on the head. It's about professionalism - in this industry individual professionalism. You are only as good as your last job. As long as we keep the standards high and police ourselves, it will work. It will help keep the older talent in the game (somewhat) so we don't have a former Mott Lake Dude handing out carts at the door of Walmart when he could be teaching BPM or BRM.

We have to get the nepotism and BS out of it and push the professionalism at every level.

[Jeckyl]

I've read a good bit of posts regarding the BW Academy and its price for training, but bear in mind that the Academy staffs primarily static positions...not mobil.

BW runs WPPS high threat protection courses every month, and the individuals that attend the vetting process don't pay any money to participate in the course. The DoS WPPS course is by invitation only...and offered to those who've had their resumes screened prior to invitation. That sure as hell doesn't mean that every shooter that shows up is grade A....but that's why it's a vetting course and not a training course. You're expected to have a clue when you show up and bring your knowledge/skill level to the table. Their will always be turds that slip through the cracks, but I can't think of an organization that doesn't experience that.

I've read that DynCorp lost their contract due to grooming standards...and no, that's not true. I've heard that TC is the company to go with...however they don't hold but a very few contracts right now. Their isn't a company out there that can't sling crap on eachother...and I believe the same is true for military units for the most part.

[Team Sergeant]

Originally Posted by Jeckyl

I've read a good bit of posts regarding the BW Academy and its price for training, but bear in mind that the Academy staffs primarily static positions...not mobil.

BW runs WPPS high threat protection courses every month, and the individuals that attend the vetting process don't pay any money to participate in the course. The DoS WPPS course is by invitation only...and offered to those who've had their resumes screened prior to invitation. That sure as hell doesn't mean that every shooter that shows up is grade A....but that's why it's a vetting course and not a training course. You're expected to have a clue when you show up and bring your knowledge/skill level to the table. Their will always be turds that slip through the cracks, but I can't think of an organization that doesn't experience that.

I've read that DynCorp lost their contract due to grooming standards...and no, that's not true. I've heard that TC is the company to go with...however they don't hold but a very few contracts right now. Their isn't a company out there that can't sling crap on eachother...and I believe the same is true for military units for the most part.

You've been here 24 hours and are already standing up for BW?
Spare us the speculation concerning BW and other contractor companies. We know their level of training and expertise, we also know very few SF'ers work for them.

If you've "heard" something keep it to yourself or feel free to post your opinions concerning contract companies on military.com.

As far as military units "slinging crap on eachother" I was in twenty years and I never witnessed any US military units "slinging crap on eachother".

Team Sergeant

[Eagle 9294]

After eight years do you QPs still feel the same about these PMCs?

[sinjefe]

What is it with people and resurrecting ancient threads?

[Eagle 9294]

Originally Posted by sinjefe

What is it with people and resurrecting ancient threads?

I had a question and did not want to start a new thread when a old one is available and will do just fine.