DND policies on contractors

[MAJOR_Baker]

I read an article in Janes Defense Weekly about Canadian DND procurement and the current state of contracting.  The current CDS recently spoke at the Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies and said, "We need private Industry Involved."

Then two pages later I found the following quote ....." Kandahar is a more dangerous region and the DND will not knowingly put its civilian contractors at risk, so it decided to use the US Army's contractor, Kellogg, Brown and Root, which is already in place, to provide support services"

For those of you that have actually deployed and received support from contractors, what is ground truth?

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Little off topic, but check your PM's S_

 

[Mojo Magnum]

aw, c'mon guys,
i was interested in that one.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Don't panic. I sent him a PM on another subject and am just letting him know. :

 

[paracowboy]

For those of you that have actually deployed and received support from contractors, what is ground truth?

personally, a nightmare. Nice people, but military needs and civilain supplies are totally opposite to one another. Our bottom lines are totally divergent, almost anathema.

We need to accomplish The Mission. They need to make a profit. I could go into a two-page rant, but it would violate OPSEC up the ying-yang.

Civvies = bad.

We need to beef up our capabilities to the point we don't need them. Which won't happen with the criminals in Ottawa remaining in power. (oops, was that out loud?)

 

[KevinB]

Ditto to Para

Generally they aint got the mindset to be part of the solution.

We had a number of them but one repetatively attempt to smuggle locals on the camp with their vehicles (w/o following security policy), One gave the camp defensive map to locals etc.

At least if it was a CF member I could have shot them (or some other sort of feelgood solution  ;D )

 

[54/102 CEF]

Ref Civvies - My opinion - CDS and his anti Camp Julienne posture is headed off in wrong direction at warp speed.

I have not been there in the `Ghan and fully expect to be told to get some time in over there  - fuggetaboutit - I made the Russians crap their jack boots back in 73 Fallex and started the fall of the Iron Curtain.

Seriously though - here`s some VERY COOL stuff for you all to look at

The CDS`s favorite author says you will see many more soldiers walloping pots and keeping the tent lines neat and tidy in the future - and many less chasing Jib Jab the Ayrab - unless you are in the SOG or units that don't exist- for extracts see my other posts on the PENTAGON`s New MAP by Thomass Barnett

No time to read?  Check this link out http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/warriors/

What the Pentagon`s New Maps is all about is here -- clikc the video link at the RED ARROW http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/people5/Barnett/barnett-con0.html - - another video on him at the bottom left of the page at the REALPLAYER LINK

You will not be disappointed

As my old college prof liked to says the more you know - the unhappier you'll get

 

[KevinB]

54/102 - so you will recall self sufficient Brigades then...

The CDS is well aware of the CJ sit - having been there (albiet not located at CJ)

Troops (beleive it or not) would rather do a 1x month (or so) shitter job burning poo and living in crew tents eating out of field kitchens - and being able to go after the En.  rather than beign fixed to a huge infrastructure.

Plus I (as a Cpl) could have burned down half of CJ and killed off 7/8th of the contract staff and not made any change in operational effectiveness of the Btl Gp (well it may have gone up...)

 

[Fishbone Jones]

- I made the Russians crap their jack boots back in 73 Fallex and started the fall of the Iron Curtain.

What'd you look like? I was there holding back the red horde too!!! Thought we called it Reforger (REturn of the FORces to GERmany) though Hard work, great times, not ever to be recaptured in today's military :'(

 

[TCBF]

The guys who impressed me were the D.O.D civillians at Khandahar Airfield in '02 who took the time out from working on Apache chain guns to give us some good hot weather maint info on our Coyote chain guns.  We thanked them by letting them sit in the gunner's seat and fire off a few bursts of 25mm - somthing they never got to do with all of the Apache guns they serviced. 

Tom

 

[54/102 CEF]

Troops (beleive it or not) would rather do a 1x month (or so) shitter job burning poo and living in crew tents eating out of field kitchens - and being able to go after the En.   rather than beign fixed to a huge infrastructure.

Well - I don`t believe it - if they love cleanup so much why has it (camp support) gone by the boards here in Canada? We got out of that when the 5.5 day work week went out in the 60s - according to my old boys when I was a youngun..... What Kevin says is fully applicable in the field - but where does the field stop in an industrial age coalition? Or - is the answer more VERY short service soldiers? As in 6 shooters and 1 hutslut? vs 6 shooters?

Having seen some of the Cancap startup and based on what KevinB says above, it appears to me it was a post of money that had been made aval to miraculously solve a problem that may not have existed - so someone did their homework...... another Gomery Enquiry anyone?