Private security companies........ yes or no?

[T_igger_cs_30]

No m8 , he hates that bastard but he's a friend of TINEAK ;)

ah bought a robe did he................

[tankie]

Nahhh it was spoils of conflicts

[Red Seven]

Late to the thread, sorry.

Back to the original question: PSCs are here to stay. The rapid expansion and lucrative market has attracted its share of questionable companies and the need for bods has caused even reputable firms to have occasional lapses in their vetting process, as in the case of AG and Fitzsimmons.

There are not enough "quiet professionals" to go around. One firefight may make you a combat veteran, but it takes some years and numerous experiences to season you. OIF and OEF have provided a huge pool of former gun-toters but steady, mature and smart guys are rare. It's not enough to know how to pull a trigger...you have to know when not to. And even more importantly, to borrow a quote from Dirty Harry, "a man has to know his limitations."

By that I mean (unless you've been contracted by the CIA), the search and destroy mentality has to be greatly modified to adapt to the restrictive nature of facilities or personal protection. You are in effect hiring men skilled in aggressive, offensive warfare to fill a role that's largely one to defend, deter and, in the case of close protection, to retreat your principal to a place of safety.

As we have seen in a few firefights, most notably the BW scuffle of some years ago in Iraq, it can be a difficult adjustment for some.

[Mihais]

Indeed sir.The average gun totter has no idea about the intricacies of close protection.He just wasn't trained to do the job.While there a lot (and I mean a LOT) of companies offering such training,I have major doubts on most of them wrt quality.Hence at least from what I know,ex-policemen do a lot better job in this area than ex-infantrymen.
The big issue in the industry right NOW seems to be the apparent lack of jobs,combined with the huge number of candidates.Hey,policymakers,we need more wars.DO SOMETHING.

What the heck happened to good ole pub recruiters that hired men for the likes of Schramme and Denard?

[Blue]

Late to the thread, sorry.

Back to the original question: PSCs are here to stay. The rapid expansion and lucrative market has attracted its share of questionable companies and the need for bods has caused even reputable firms to have occasional lapses in their vetting process, as in the case of AG and Fitzsimmons.

There are not enough "quiet professionals" to go around. One firefight may make you a combat veteran, but it takes some years and numerous experiences to season you. OIF and OEF have provided a huge pool of former gun-toters but steady, mature and smart guys are rare. It's not enough to know how to pull a trigger...you have to know when not to. And even more importantly, to borrow a quote from Dirty Harry, "a man has to know his limitations."

By that I mean (unless you've been contracted by the CIA), the search and destroy mentality has to be greatly modified to adapt to the restrictive nature of facilities or personal protection. You are in effect hiring men skilled in aggressive, offensive warfare to fill a role that's largely one to defend, deter and, in the case of close protection, to retreat your principal to a place of safety.

As we have seen in a few firefights, most notably the BW scuffle of some years ago in Iraq, it can be a difficult adjustment for some.

Spoken like a true professional. Well said!

[Red Seven]

The big issue in the industry right NOW seems to be the apparent lack of jobs,combined with the huge number of candidates.

It is and that's because the big reputable firms get all the best contracts and hence the money to hire the top tier guys. Meanwhile, every kid that gets off active duty wants to be a contractor.