Sept. 11, 2014
Author Ann Hagedorn breaks down America's private security industry.
Since the Iraq War, America has drastically increased its dependence on private companies to handle many security tasks in conflict zones around the world. In “The Invisible Soldiers: How America Outsourced Our Security,” author and former Wall Street Journal reporter Ann Hagedorn explains how companies that began as weapons manufacturers have evolved to assist U.S. military personnel with everything from police training, intelligence analysis and logistics support to border patrol, drone operations and weapons procurement and maintenance. Hagedorn recently spoke with U.S. News about why the American public should care about this trend. Excerpts:
When did the U.S. begin to outsource its security to private companies?
The privatization of defense and security has grown over the course of maybe 35 years, [moving] beyond weapons to defense and security services. That happened slowly [following] the end of World War II. Companies now assist U.S. forces in [tasks like] contingency operations and remain long after the military withdraws from combat zones. It has gone from a few companies and a few subsidiaries to a bona fide industry.
Is using private contractors more efficient than using a military force?
It depends on who you ask. The companies promote themselves as on-call businesses, which effectively fill the gap between what the government can do and what is needed. But, that said, the issue of efficiency versus effectiveness is huge within the military. Just because these companies are on call and hired temporarily for a particular job doesn’t mean necessarily that’s always the smartest thing to do. If you talk to anyone in the military, they’ll say there’s a major difference between effectiveness of defense strategy and efficiency. Sometimes the most effective strategy in terms of winning a war or ending a conflict won’t necessarily be the most efficient. And that’s where the flaw is.
Are there unique challenges involved in regulating private companies that have global clients?
Every industry is regulated to a certain degree. This is an international industry that really shows the shift into the borderless business environment. There are challenges in terms of legal control and monitoring. When you have an industry that has markets on every continent, companies on every continent and employees from many countries, how do you monitor that?
What are the risks of the U.S. relying on private contractors to fill its defense and security needs?
It would be impossible at this point to answer this question. One way of thinking of it is that one of the threats to our security is indifference. If you’re allowing your nation to be dependent on private firms for defense and security, then you are looking the other way. There was one point in the Iraq War where the contractor casualty numbers, wounded and dead, exceeded [those of the] traditional military. What we’re talking about is the general public not seeing the full impact of war. We can’t do our job as democratic citizens if we don’t have the facts.
Where are the most private military and security personnel working?
There are markets on every continent, and there are employees on every continent. When a private military and security company gets a contract with the U.S. government, oftentimes the work is subcontracted. I’ve seen as many as four layers of subcontractors in a given situation. There’s a company that finds workers to work as subcontractors. The workers themselves often come from Third World countries.
Do other nations use private security companies as much as the United States does?
Other countries do. It’s been an expanding trend. Russia, Israel – there are many countries that have them. China entered the market in recent years. [But] the same companies that work for our government are not working for those governments.
You’ve talked about Americans not understanding the full impact of relying on private contractors. Does that include economic costs?
Private contractors [certainly] allow the government to operate under the radar of public scrutiny. If [you] do not see the full impact of war, then you’re not totally aware of what we’re involved in. We can get involved in a conflict and say we’re going to bring in 3,000 military troops. [But] there could also be 1,500 private contractors. You have to be aware of that to get a sense of the full impact because that’s also on the shoulders of taxpayers. It’s really about democracy – making people aware of the fact that we’re dependent on these companies, and there’s absolutely no doubt we are.
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