Friday, September 24, 2010

Contractor Casualties Are Now Out Pacing Military Casualties In U.S. Wars


More Contractors Than Troops Now Dying in U.S. Wars -- Time Magazine

Well, here's something you figured would happen eventually: during the first six months of this year, more U.S. contractors (232) than U.S. troops (195) were killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. "Contractors supporting the war effort today are losing more lives than the U.S. military waging these wars," Steven Schooner, co-director of the Government Procurement Law Program at The George Washington Law School, and Collin Swan, a student there, report.

Read more ....

Update #1: Contractor deaths outnumber military casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan -- The Cable/Foreign Policy
Update #2: More Contractors than Troops Killed in Iraq and Afghanistan This Year -- All Gov

My Comment
: I completely concur with this observation, and is a story that has not been publicized. I get emails once in a while (fortunately very rarely) from readers soliciting information on soldiers who have just been killed in action .... and could I identify who they are.

This pales in comparison to the emails that I am now getting from readers who are trying to find out if I have any information on contractors who have been killed or wounded, and if I could help in directing them on where they can get more information. These emails are (quite often) disheartening, and it is obvious that it is coming from a loved one who has just heard something .... but is unable to verify a claim or a piece of information that they have just received.

Is the military and our government failing on this issue .... I will have to say yes. And with more contractors now being killed than soldiers .... I am expecting more emails and requests from anguished relatives for information on loved ones that may (or may not) have been killed or injured in Afghanistan or any other war zone.

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