How Many Private Contractors Are There In Afghanistan? Military Gives Us A Number(104,100+)

[tekisui]

Source: TPMMuckraker

Private contractors employed by the Defense Department in Afghanistan will continue to outnumber the size of the American troop presence, even after President Obama sends 30,000 more soldiers to fight in the war, according to the military's most recent contractor count.

The latest figure on DOD contractors in the country is a whopping 104,100, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command tells TPM. That number, which is expected to grow, is already greater than the 98,000 U.S. troops that will be in the country after the new deployments.

We told you yesterday about the little-noticed but giant shadow army of contractors that allows the United States to prosecute the war by providing food, transport, construction, security, and other services. Many believe the size of the contracting force presents security and transparency concerns.

And the lack of discussion of the topic -- Obama, for example, didn't mention contractors in his address last night -- warps perceptions of the size of the American commitment in Afghanistan.

more: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/so_how_many_private_contractors_are_there_in_afgha.php?ref=fpb

[slipslidingaway]

1. knr nt

[Solly Mack]

2. K&R

I really do appreciate you. I just wanted you to know that.

[tekisui]

3. So, really the US will have about 200,000 troops.

Plus the NATO forces.

[fascisthunter]

4. the way this government spends money on wars

is like watching a gambling addict who spends others' money.

[PA Democrat]

5. Wow. I wonder how much we are borrowing to pay THAT bill.

[Arctic Dave]

6. Is there a website that tracks contractor deaths? All i find is icasualites.

and they just give military numbers.

[tekisui]

8. I found it once, but can't remember where.

If I remember correctly, the total number of contractor deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan is over 1,000. I will try to hunt that number down again.

[Arctic Dave]

10. Thank you.

[tekisui]

9. Contractor casualties in war zones top 1,000 (that was in 2007)

More than 1,000 contractors working for American firms in Iraq have been killed since the beginning of the war, while nearly 80 have been killed in Afghanistan, according to Labor Department statistics released late Tuesday.

Between January and June 2007, at least 231 contractors have died in Iraq, the report shows. The department has recorded 1,001 deaths since March 2003.

In all, at least 4,837 contractors in Iraq and 879 contractors in Afghanistan have been injured in the two wars.

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=47961


1,327 contractors dead in Iraq
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_private_contractor_deaths_in_Iraq

139 foreign private contractor deaths in Afghanistan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_private_contractor_deaths_in_Afghanistan

[bullwinkle428]

7. Well, it WAS a short trip from Iraq!