Yeah, the going rate for 91BS, 18D, SEAL Independent Corpsman, and PJs is about 20-25% over the contractor going rate. Pay heed to what he says about some groups being better than others. Friend of mine was just with an org which I believe is the same one as this writer. (If not, it's got equivalent quality and stress on training and selection).
Dyncorp, for a contrary example, is not a good or safe outfit to be with, and since word has gotten around, they are doing things through intermediate contractors. So you are hired by Blowfish LLC that was established last Tuesday, which is getting paid by Dyncorp, and rakes off 20%, and you get the proverbial rusty AK. (Some of their first arrivals were told to scrounge guns from the US military. "Hey, sarge, you don't know me and I'm not in the Army or anything, but can I sign for an M4?") I've had this confirmed both ways, because I've seen emails from USSF bitching about contractors trying to hit them up for confiscated weapons, M16 magazines, etc. There is huge money in this, but in some cases it all cha-chingg!s into the account of the Beltway middleman, and the man "in the arena" is facing hadji with the armament equivalent of a jockstrap and a light coat of LSA.
Like he said, some outfits DON'T VET THEIR PEOPLE and take them at their word. "Trust, but verify" should apply here. Blackwater took a guy that we bounced permanently after several half-hearted attempts at selection and qualification. I was flabbergasted because BW has (or had, anyway) a good rep. He just told them that he had made it into the unit, and had seen combat with us. He altered his DD214. THEY NEVER CALLED ANYONE TO CHECK.
With SEALs at least it is easy to get an upcheck or downcheck on a guy's qualification -- anyone can find out in hours if Joe really did BUD/S or not. With us it's a bit harder, but there are ways, and you'd think that contract managers would be keen on using them. But whether the guy passes school is only one part of the whole thing. As it's customary to tell newbies on the first day of selection, "Your reputation with us starts here, and it will follow you forever." I don't know how many times I shook the trees on a guy who stumbled through all the attrition and had paper qualifications, but got a discreet thumbs down on him based on fatal defects in attitude or character.
The character is more important than the qualification, but as the letter points out, you need a certain baseline of skills to play in this league.
The old boy system works when you recruit in your own pool -- I have a rolodex full of my guys, I'm sure Travis and Squantos could find some of theirs, etc. But I don't know the guys in Travis's rolodex, and more importantly, I don't have the shared experience of BUD/S and whatever-all else you guys do. If some guy came to me and told me he was a SEAL on an SDV team I would not be able to tell if he was blowing smoke or telling the truth, where another SEAL would know in minutes. So using your instincts an contacts to check on people fails when you go outside your own service (or even little corner of your service, sometimes).
The demand has caused a lot of contractors to lower the bar on whom they'll accept. Since the biggest thing that determines whether you are coming home is the competence of the folks you're with, what do you make of that, eh?
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F
Plus, we used to say that somehow, ten percent of ANY group that makes it through selection (BUD/S, whatever) will be screwballs.
So what you might find at the hiring end is a screwball who somehow made it through BUD/S or SF school 20 years ago, got out, and hasn't had a tactical thought since then.
In that case, give me a 25 year old one hitch Ranger any day. At least he'll be tough and will listen with both ears.
In any event, I would certainly want to put prospective volunteers through a minimum of a 7-10 day mini selection course stateside before sending him anywhere. If this isn't being done, then how the hell do you know if the guy is up to speed at all? I sure as hell know enough to know I'm not!