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Force for Hire

Welcome to Force for Hire, where we will take you on a deep dive into the shadowy world of private military contracting. Hosts Michelle Harven and Desmon Farris will take listeners behind the scenes of this often misunderstood aspect of modern warfare.

Latest Episodes:

Exploring the murky, mysterious world of Russian military contracting Jul 17, 2019

Show notes

Force for Hire’s hosts have focused primarily on American military contracting. We’re changing it up this week as Michelle and Desmon look at a private Russian paramilitary force that is a global threat, even though it isn’t formally recognized by its government. The Wagner Group, believed to be run by former Russian military intelligence officer Dmitriy Utkin, is shrouded in secrecy. A 2017 Bloomberg article placed its membership as high as 6,000, even though mercenary forces are not allowed under Russian law. (https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2017-12-06/putin-wants-to-win-but-not-at-all-costs) The group has reportedly worked in Africa, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, Ukraine and Syria. In early 2018, forces believed to be a part of the Wagner Group engaged in a battle with U.S.-led Syrian Democratic Forces troops near the Syrian town of Khasham. That led to a U.S. airstrike that killed numerous Russian mercenaries fighting alongside pro-Syrian government forces. Some reports put the number of Russian deaths as high as 200, although that has been contested. (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/13/russian-mercenaries-killed-us-airstrikes-syria) Critics allege that Russia uses mercenaries in Syria to keep official military losses low. Even with high-profile battles, the Wagner Group largely flies under the radar, leaving questions about its members and its mission, and who’s ultimately calling the shots. To help explain the issues, Force for Hire welcomes Sergey Sukhankin, a research fellow at the Jamestown Foundation think tank in Washington; and Peer Schouten, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, a research institute in Denmark. ogether, they’ll talk about how the Wagner Group and other Russian contractors are influencing policies, affecting trade and shaping the politics of central African nations. Their operations on that continent remains a hot topic among the contracting community and those that follow it. Schouten and Sukhankin explain all this and more on the latest episode of Force for Hire. podcast@stripes.com

Former British Army leader Tim Collins talks Iraq War, contracting Jul 10, 2019

Show notes

When the United Kingdom sent soldiers to join the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the force was marked with veterans of a decades-long conflict between England and Northern Ireland, which came to be known as “The Troubles.”

Among those soldiers was a Tim Collins, a British colonel in charge of the Royal Irish Regiment’s 1st Battalion. Collins, 59, had grown up in Belfast and came of age while serving in the British army as his hometown was rocked almost daily by violence.

He was no stranger to bloodshed, and he was aware of the impact an invasion could have on a population caught in the crossfire. When Collins stood before his men on the eve of sending them into battle March 19, 2003, he knew what was at stake.

That familiarity with fire and death and that empathy led him to deliver one of the most famous speeches of its time. In that speech — a copy of which was later said to have hung in the Oval Office — Collins talked about the Iraqi people. “Their children will be poor. In years to come they will know that the light of liberation in their lives was brought by you.”

We are joined this week by Collins, who will talk about his time in the British service, what it was like growing up during the Northern Ireland conflict and the early days of the Iraq War.

Collins — now involved with private military and security contracting firm New Century — shares his perspective on the operations gaps filled by contracting and how it’s shaping the modern battlefield.

podcast@stripes.com

Examining contracting, military spending in the UAE and Saudi Arabia Jul 03, 2019

Show notes

There is a lot of money in the private military and security contracting worlds. While the U.S. remains ahead of the pack in defense spending, countries like Saudi Arabia spend a greater percent of their gross domestic product than the U.S.

Other countries in the Saudi region continue to build up their defenses by recruiting native forces or hiring private military contractors.

The United Arab Emirates is known for hiring foreign nationals, including a large number of private military contractors.

That practice is so ingrained in the country’s culture that in 2004, leaders introduced an incentive program to promote hiring from within to reduce its dependency on a foreign workforce.

Even with the incentives, the defense money continues to flow, and the UAE has one of the region’s most formidable military forces. The UAE, according to senior adviser to Gulf state analytics Theodore Karasik, is one of the most attractive places for private military contractors to find work. Karasik explains why in this week’s episode of Force for Hire.

We’re also joined by Washington Post reporter Aaron Gregg, who helps detangle some of the financial and military ties between the U.S., Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

A full transcript of this episode can be found here.

podcast@stripes.com

A talk with Tim Lynch, voice of a misunderstood industry Jun 19, 2019

Show notes

Tim Lynch retired from the Marine Corps in 2000 after a lengthy career as an infantry officer.

Some would consider that timing — just a year before the 9/11 attacks thrust America into decades of combat operations — fortuitous.

Not Lynch.

The retired Marine major saw his former brothers-in-arms deploy, watched them put into practice the combat training he had spent his life perfecting. He wanted in.

So Lynch threw his resume at every private military contracting company he could find. Within days he had a job offer. What followed was a long career spent deploying to some of most hotly contested war zones in the Middle East as a security contractor.

While there, he decided to blog about his experiences, collecting his thoughts on contracting, Afghan politics and so much more. Free Range International is a fascinating look inside an industry often hidden from public view. He’s also a seasoned podcast guest, appearing frequently on All Marine Radio.

Lynch joins us on this episode of Force for Hire to talk about his experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan — from the mundane to the extraordinary. His insights, thoughts and observations make this episode one of the most dynamic of the season. You won’t want to miss it.

podcast@stripes.com

Exploitation, human trafficking rampant in third-country national contracting Jun 12, 2019

Show notes

This week on Force for Hire, we bring aboard a pair of experts to examine an aspect of military contracting that ties into issues of human rights abuses and modern-day slavery.

Third-country nationals, workers not employed by a company headquartered in their home country and operating in a country outside of their native lands, are often part of the contracted workforce supporting the Department of Defense. A 2019 U.S. Central Command report counts 24,000 third-country nationals among its workers.

But as researcher into modern slavery James Sinclair says the practice of hiring and subcontracting out a third-country national workforce has led to some massive human rights issues. Sinclair will talk about how shady and largely unregulated hiring practices can lead to what amounts to modern-day slavery.

Also joining us this week is Noah Coburn, author of “Under Contract: The Invisible Workers of America’s Global War,” a book that examines a contracted workforce that is often ignored, exploited and forgotten about.

Coburn discusses how security contractors in countries not known for their human rights records can be robbed of promised salary, arrested or worse – and what part defense contracting companies play in all of this.

Meet Cindy Waldron, war zone trucker, military mom and survivor Jun 05, 2019

Show notes

Cindy Waldron has done a little bit of everything, it seems. She has taken big rigs up and down America’s highways. She has delivered much-needed supplies to troops in Iraq, braving gunfire and improvised explosive device attacks along the way. She’s a proud mother of a U.S. soldier and author of the 2006 book “Cindy in Iraq: A Civilian’s Year in the War Zone,” which chronicles her experiences. She’s also a survivor – of firefights, of abusive relationships and of a sexual assault while deployed. Through it all, she not only persevered, but flourished, becoming one of the few women driving supply convoys through Baghdad in its bloodiest years. Morgan stopped by and talked with Stars and Stripes about her experiences in Iraq, in a raw, unfiltered look back at a singularly unique career. She talks about it all, from happy family moments, to dealing with PTSD, to finding peace after coming home from war. Along the way Morgan gives advice to abuse survivors, talks about her support of U.S. troops and paints a picture of Iraq in its most war-torn days. This is one episode of Force for Hire that you won’t want to miss.

Contractors navigate complex maze of laws, policies for health care May 15, 2019

Show notes

As complex as military health care can be, servicemembers don’t have to worry about the Department of Defense shutting down overnight. Contractors who work for smaller private military or security firms have faced exactly that, leaving them without continued care. Even though that was an extreme case, contractors commonly face a tangled web of regulations, insurance policies and legal loopholes when seeking health care.

A trio of experts joins hosts Michelle Harven and Desmon Farris to help explain the intricacies of contractor health care, provide tips for those in the industry and clear up some of the murkier aspects of the current system.

Among those is Doug Grauel, a lawyer who specializes in helping contractors with injury claims. He’ll talk about a little-understood policy that helps safeguard government workers and will provide advice for any contractors facing medical issues.

Also joining us this week are the two researchers behind a Rand Corp. study about the health of contractors operating in conflict areas. Molly Dunnigan, senior political scientist for Rand, and Carrie Farmer, a senior policy researcher for the nonprofit think tank, talk about the report and what it means for anyone considering a job in the private sector.

Black Rifle Coffee CEO’s life as Green Beret, military contractor May 08, 2019

Show notes

The idea of leaving active duty for a contracting gig is a dream that many servicemembers share. And why not? Heading back to college at an older age or going from leading a fire team to working in retail can sound less than exciting.

Taking hard-earned military skills and applying them to a lucrative new career is appealing to many veterans. But is contracting all it’s cracked up to be?

In the last episode of Force for Hire, we heard how servicemembers and veterans can get started in private military contracting careers. Now, we’re going to hear from a contractor who made that leap – with mixed results.

Evan Hafer, CEO and founder of Black Rifle Coffee, joins us on this week’s podcast. Hafer began his career as a U.S. Army infantryman. Later, he joined the elite ranks of the Green Berets, served among them for more than a decade. Afterward, he become a military contractor working personal security for the U.S. State Department.

Hafer talks about his many deployments to combat zones, how his experiences differed between uniformed and private military service, and what inspired him to leave it all behind for a life of coffee roasting and entrepreneurship.

Leveraging military skills, expertise to forge a new career May 01, 2019

Show notes

With Force for Hire, we’ve covered the modern history of military and security contracting, talked to veterans of the industry and spoke to the families affected by the realities of the business.

Now, it’s time to find out what it takes to become a military contractor: the skills needed, the attitudes recruiters are looking for and what challenges veterans can expect to face when looking to make the leap into the industry.

Many veterans have designs on using the skills they’ve picked up in the service after hanging up the uniform. Private security and military contracting remains a high-profile landing spot for veterans, especially those in combat arms who might find their skill sets undervalued in a civilian workforce.

So how, exactly, does an infantryman make the change from servicemember to military contractor?

To get that information, we brought back Adam Gonzales, a military veteran who transitioned into the private military world. He and his wife, Susan Gonzales, also a veteran, now run the security and military company Silent Professionals.

Together with hosts Desmon Farris and Michelle Harven, they talk about what veterans and transitioning servicemembers can do to become better candidates in the private sector, dispel some common misconceptions and touch on what turns off potential recruiters.

The families left behind Apr 17, 2019

Show notes

In this episode we talk to Barbie Baker and Nicole Woodland, two women with firsthand knowledge of the lifestyle change that takes place after a spouse joins the world of private military contracting. Their story might sound familiar to former military spouses — loneliness, uncertainty and a search for new meaning — but some of what they say might surprise you.

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