Logistics Civil Augmentation Program: What is the Status Today

摘要

Throughout its history the United States Army has utilized civilian contractors on the battlefield to provide support for its forces around the world. Since the Vietnam conflict however the level of contracted support has for a variety of reasons continually expanded. In the course of providing this support several issues have caused friction and have been the subject of a lot of debate and previous research. These issues include contractor legal status force protection discipline accountability location on the battlefield responsiveness flexibility readiness and defined doctrine development. This Strategic Research Project looks at each of these issues as they apply to contractors on the battlefield in general and the Logistical Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP) in particular and assesses the advances or lack there of that have been made in the last decade to resolve each issue. It concludes with the way ahead for the US Army and LOGCAP as we continue into the twenty-first century.