Professional Military Services Industry: Have We Created a New Military-Industrial Complex

摘要

The U.S. military has facilitated the growth and development of the privatized military service industry by awarding $300 billion in military service contracts between 1994 and 2002. As a result, a full range of professional military services are now immediately available to any sovereign country, NGO or non-state actor with the ability to pay and without the time and cost required to develop organic capabilities. However, unity of command and responsibility for contractor performance is often diluted through subsequent layers of subcontracts and ineffective contract management. As civilian contractors are called to perform mission essential duties on a global battlefield with increasingly fuzzy front lines, rational employment and effective contractual control of the growing military service industry is necessary to manage its increasing influence upon America's National Security. This paper describes the development and growth of the professional military service industry and differentiates the service sector from modern mercenary firms and traditional defense industrial contractors. The scope is limited to military service providers currently employed directly or indirectly by the U.S. Government. The research addresses issues of battlefield control of civilian contractors, accountability and military effectiveness.