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Originally Posted by Julie
The firm's president and training director, and Blackwater Security Consulting's director, are veteran Navy SEALs. The name Blackwater alludes to covert missions undertaken by elite divers at night.
Government officials who have been briefed by the company said Blackwater carefully vets its employees, the vast majority of whom are former military personnel, and puts them through rigorous training requiring the same skill levels as those possessed by U.S. Special Operations troops.
Blackwater has about 400 employees in Iraq, said one government official briefed by the company. Its armed commandos earn an average of about $1,000 a day.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp...¬Found=true
These guys are considered "mercenaries." At present, there should be about 30,000 of them in Iraq.
http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=401463
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp...¬Found=true
Currently, there have been 213 civilian contractors deaths, as of March 20, 2005. Here's a link for the list and circumsdtances.
http://icasualties.org/oif/Civ.aspx
Then here are the huge setback to the contractors companies, as early as February, 2005. (Snipe, this one will interest you).
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6947745/ |
mer·ce·nar·y (mūr'sə-nĕr'ē)
n., pl. -ies.
One who serves or works merely for monetary gain; a hireling.
A professional soldier hired for service in a foreign army.
While there may be some within Blackwater, Global Security, etc. that are truly mercenaries, I think that the majority of the contracted employees are far from being mercenaries. I doubt you'd get many "defectors" who'd move over to be bin Laden's PSD if the money was greater. I don't doubt that money is a big motivator, but the fact that they can contribute to our mission still fufills their sense of duty. Something along the lines of "for God, country, and money."