[Incorrigible]

Maybe the civilians just weren't prepared for how fast the military moved into Baghdad?

[irv]

Maybe the civilians just weren't prepared for how fast the military moved into Baghdad?

Or maybe they thought it was just like every other Pentagon contract: Billions of dollars to play with and actual performance optional.

[caltrop]

One of the drivers in the decision to move to contractors and away from uniformed personnel was that recruitment needs are reduced. IMHO the services, particularly the Army, are in a tough spot. They are over extended and approaching the limits of their ability to draw recruits. If the current tempo continues, reenlistment rates will fall making the situation that much worse.

[Incorrigible]

Because of delays by civilian contractors, soldiers in Iraq until recently suffered in poor living conditions. Here, soldiers pass the time in temporary barracks in an abandoned building in east Baghdad. (Photo by Tyrone Turner)

[boxerblues]

Even mail delivery -- also managed by civilian contractors -- fell weeks behind.

b@stards. you still have not delivered mail that was sent in April & May, get the fricking lead out and get it to the troops, we paid to have it shipped and expect a resonable turnaround time.

[First_Salute]

The situation is not as rosy as reported above.

[dr_who_2]

I wonder if some of these contractors can be penalized for sub-par performance and charged money instead of being reimbursed if they fail to deliver at all. I don't think the problem is with civilians not being prepared. That's not a valid excuse by a long shot. I'm wondering if the DoD was hampered with red tape and the urgency of the situation so that they were only able to negotiate contracts that let these contractor types get away with murder.

[dr_who_2]

I wonder if the forces there can purchase many supplies through Iraqi merchants now.

[A CA Guy]

Bo, that fact is they don't want to show up and end up murdered by snipers.
A friend who trained in that kind of stuff for the Navy said they were the first to get wiped out after the main battle.
My friend had a paper that allowed him to leave any time form the service and he exercized it before they sent people in to do this kind of thing in a whole other situation...his friends were ALL killed.

So no, this is the least favorite situation a builder wants to be in. Chances of death are way up there.

[nightdriver]

"U.S. troops in Iraq suffered through months of unnecessarily poor living conditions because some civilian contractors hired by the Army for logistics support failed to show up, Army officers said."

Don't try to kid me. These contractors are still trying to fill out the three tons of paperwork so they can be qualified to hammer nails.

They have to prove, among other things, that they have the requisite quotas of tri-plegic Martians on their workforce before they can claim a dime of gubmint money.