When asked why private security contractors are important for the U.S. military a former specialist for the United States Army replied, “It’s the extra sense of security. Strength in numbers. The United States Government won’t deploy more troops overseas but they will hire these private companies to help us out” (Ruohenen). Habib Moody, a student at Yale University, is the author of “Soldiers for Rent”. In this article written for The New Atlantis, Moody argues that the government should not be hiring companies to fight the war for our soldiers. At one point in the article he says by hiring private companies to fight, we are “degrading such a noble calling”. In other words, by having civilians working alongside the military we are degrading a soldier’s work. He generates claims and describes why he thinks there is a lack of oversight and regulation on contractors overseas. Because of this, the contractors are unpunishable and getting away with war crime. While I agree with Moody that there is an excess of government military contracts, having private companies overseas is highly beneficial to our government. Without these contracts, the amount of U.S. military personnel would need to be increased to more than double, leading to a higher government expense than what the contractors charge. Private military companies or PMCs have been taking part in wars for the United States for a long time now. Deborah Kidwell is the Assistant Professor of Military History and has done a lot of research on PMCs. She says in her book “Public War, Private Fight? The United States and Private Military Companies” that PMCs were used as far back as the American Revolution. During the revolution companies were hired for means l... ... middle of paper ... ...rmy You Can Afford: the United States, International law, and the Private Military Industry.” Boston University International Law Journal Spring 2010: 181-218.Academic OneFile. Hartung, William D. “Privatizing war.” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 60.2 (2004): 78+. Academic OneFile. Web. 19 Mar. 2014 Karp, Jonathan. “Contractors in War Zone Face Legal Front; Private Firms Like Blackwater could be Held Liable for Casualties during Military Tasks.” Wall Street Journal Mar 08 2007, Eastern edition ed. ProQuest. 4 Mar. 2014 Kidwell, Deborah C. Public War, Private Fight? The United States and Private Military Companies. Fort Leavenworth, Kansas: Combat Studies Institute Press, 2011. Google Scholar. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. Moody, Habib. “Soldiers For Rent.” The New Atlantis 17 (2007): 122-27. Web. 2014. Ruohenen, Thomas. Personal interview. 19 Mar. 2014.
One subculture within the United States is that of the US Army. The Army defends the nation against all enemies, foreign and domestic. It is an exclusive group since not everyone in the country serves in the Army.
“However, it seems he ¬¬–Eisenhower, never considered how easily our leaders would turn to borrowing to continue feeding the military-industrial complex war beast. Look at America's financial and social conditions today and consider the validity of Eisenhower's warnings expressed more than five decades ago. One truly unfortunate side effect of the military industry's quest for growth is that wars must be fought to justify and increase demand for its products.”
Military industrial complex is a country’s establishment and military materials, regarded as a powerful vested interest. In his farewell address President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned of the dangers of the military-industrial complex, he warns Americans to keep an eye on military-industrial complex. Eisenhower was concerned about how expensive the American defense establishment was becoming. President Eisenhower mentions in his speech that “in the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.” He continues by saying that we should not let this endanger our liberties.
Lockheed Martin is an organization that heavily relies on its defense contracts in order to generate revenue. In 2005, 95% of Lockheed Martin’s revenue came from the US Department of Defense, other US Federal government agencies and foreign military customers (Defense News, 2007). Lockheed Martin earns this revenue by winning government contracts. As previously noted, Lockheed Martin has a large customer base with the US Department of Defense. The company is the largest provider of IT services, systems integration, and training to the government (Lockheed Martin, 2008). Other customers that provide revenue for Lockheed Martin are international governments and some commercial sales of products and services (Lockheed Martin, 2008).
America holds the dream of liberty and freedom and protects the attainment and success of democracy across the world. As President Eisenhower emphasized in his “Farewell Address,” our goal as a nation has always been to “foster progress in human achievement, and to enhance liberty, dignity, and integrity among people and among nations” (par. 7). However, since the early fifties, American society has become a nation of self-servers with ulterior motives that surface well after our nation has initiated conflicts with others. The Korean, Vietnam and the Iraq War all exemplify the new era of secretive purpose behind military action taken. These three wars span the majority of the past sixty years. This new era began when our country started our transformation into, what President Eisenhower coined, the “military-industrial complex” (par.16). This complex harbors an unbalanced society that allows for our government’s actions to become easily corrupted by the need to feed the industry that feeds our military in turn. During President Eisenhower’s farewell, he warned our nation of the devastating effects of this type of national compound. In, Why We Fight, by Eugene Jarecki, an award-winning documentary director and producer, the film introduces the audience to the lack of understanding our society has on the actual intent behind our nation’s conflicts. Jarecki conveys throughout his piece that the overall purpose for misleading the American public is to fuel the military-industrial economy by maintaining America’s political supremacy around the world. The director introduces the audience to this new understanding by employing anecdotes from certain citizens as well as expressive imagery that comprised of heart wrenching video clips as w...
... threats is a complex process. The process requires highly trained personnel and high-order equipment to combine and produce this very important capability. The BIDS can now be better viewed as an asset that protects the maneuver units of the battlefield, and ultimately the people of the United States.
Wars have many battles. However, battles do not always lead to war. Marines courageously serve in our nations wars. Their ability to win battles allows our nations to deal with threats quickly without making the situation more dangerous than it already is. Since the year of 1775 the Marines have been the number one branch of the military called upon first. Their ability to execute the most rapid, effective, and efficient military response to disputes anywhere in the world, makes them one of the most respected branches of the military. The Marines Corps are deployed to respond swiftly and aggressively to threats around the world. What distinguishes the Marines Corps from any other branch is the bond formed by their motto “Semper Fidelis.” It was a motto adopted in 1883. “Semper Fidelis” in Latin means “always faithful.” It reminds marines to always be faithful to their mission, to one another, and to the Corps and our beloved nation, no matter the cost. However, we will discuss the history and background of the career, the requirements to obtain the career, the job position and description, and the job reflection and outlook.
Over the years America has been in countless wars, which has exposed the people and their society's ideals to the military's influence. The United States were founded on the spilling of blood which is justified through the act of battle. Military branches have developed since they were first brought into being as the “Minutemen”, but one thing that hasn't changed over time is the people's’ trust. Andrew Bacevich exploits America's dependence and idealisation of their armed forces, as well as explains how the belief came to be.
The citizens of America place special trust and beliefs in the Army as a profession, which considers their highest priority to be the service to their Nation. Trust is the foundation of what the Army profession is built upon, as ADRP-1 (2013) states, “trust is the bedrock of the Army’s relationship with the American people” (p. 1-5). Trust in the Army Profession boils down to “trust between Soldiers, trust between Soldiers and Leaders, trust between Soldiers and Army Civilians, trust between Soldiers, their families, and the Army, and trust between the Army and the American people” (ADRP-1, 2013, p1-5). Without trust there would be no Army Profession. The trust between the Army professionals and the American people will carry on for many generations to come. Without the trust in the Army Profession, who will the American people trust to protect their Nation? With the trust that the Army professionals have comes the honorable service to their
The U.S. Military is a proud institution, on which we as a nation rely on, just as it relies on the funding and directing of the United States Congress. However, when compared to the rest of the world, the United States consistently outspends other countries on Military/Defense spending. So much so that the National Priorities Project (NPP) states that in 2013 “America spent 37% of the world’s total military spending.” They go on to say that in 2015 “military spending (was) projected to account for 54% of all federal discretionary spending” which equates to about 600 billion dollars in federal spending towards defense and military. While there are benefits of spending this much on Military, many argue that such spending gives America an element
Military background and history has been in the world for a long time. It goes back as far as Assyrians, Spartans, Aztecs, Romans and Greek. The military purpose is mainly to protect our country and our rights and freedoms. It’s just a part of nature. No one came up with military it just happened and got stronger and stronger over the years. It first started with random people coming together protecting towns and homes and families, and eventually more and more people came together. The three main branches of the military are The Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. All three of these branches are the reason the U.S is how it is. These branches fight for our freedom, our rights, and our country!! (Robbie Hughes Interview)
There are many reasons why the Army should be considered a profession. The Army trains and certifies its members, has continuing development of its personnel, and contains many professions within it. Much like doctors and lawyers, the Army requires each member to complete training and certification. The Army focuses on development of its personnel to maintain skills important to the profession. Aside from the profession itself, the Army contains many other professions. The U.S. Army has and will continue to maintain and advance the profession through study and intellectual development.
Each country in the world has the ability to decide where they want to place their military. Doing so by taking strategic measures, the private sector has to sometimes work day and night with no breaks to ensure global security. For example, in the 1960s during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the entire private sector had to work for days on end to make sure that nothing drastic was going to happen to the country and even to the world. This does not just apply to the 1960s when it happens, but it applies to every single day and it is apart of the responsibility that comes with working in the private
National defense being another example where the role of government is indispensable, because people do not pay for each unit the...
Primarily, the publics’ perceptions that private security agencies and its employees have no legal authority, therefore, tends to disrespect them or not adhered to the directives or comply to the enforcement they intend to implement. The main goal of most private security agencies and guards are the same, protecting life and property, however this is an unyielding task for those in this profession. Another great challenge for private security lies in the supplies and demands of the community in which they serve. Economic environments tend to determine how successful private security can be. Most private security agencies rely on the demands of the company, the level of security they require, the length of the contract or assignment, and lastly, the budget in which the company has allowed for these services.