Private Military Fighting For the US

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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.

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