Civilians on the Battlefield - Essay Example

Civilians On The Battlefield Civilians On The Battlefield SGM Thomas Moore SGM Louis Dillon SGM Renee Gray MSG Buddy Wells MSG Richard Torres 19 February 2007 M08 Class 57 Abstract The use of contractors for operational support is an acceptable risk for the combatant commander as the contractors are generally achieving their mission. Current force structure requires the use of contractors for contingency operations and there are many considerations to ensure the combatant commander is properly supported. There are many challenges with civilians on the battlefield; however, increased use of civilians has changed the face of combat for the military because Global War on Terror (GWOT) has advocated an increasing number of civilians on the nonlinear battlefield. The growing dependence on contractors in today's nonlinear battlefield, combined with its explicit inclusion stated in the current military strategy, provides the need to critically examine the subject of contractors on the battlefield. Introduction There are many challenges with civilians on the battlefield; however, increased use of civilians has changed the face of combat for the military because Global War on Terror (GWOT) has advocated an increasing number of civilians on the nonlinear battlefield. The growing dependence on contractors in today's nonlinear battlefield, combined with its explicit inclusion stated in the current military strategy, provides the need to critically examine the subject of contractors on the battlefield. To bind this complex area of study, this paper will briefly discuss the background of contractor support to the military and review the current policies and doctrine involving logistical services provided by contractors in combat operations, specifically focused on the United States Army. The use of contractors for operational support is an acceptable risk for the combatant commander as the contractors are generally achieving their mission. Current force structure requires the use of contractors for contingency operations and there are many considerations to ensure the combatant commander is properly supported I. History, policies and procedures of civilians on the battlefield. Civilians have participated in military operations from the Revolutionary War to the present. During the Revolutionary War civilians were called "Camp Followers" as they followed the Army from camp to camp. They were most often wives and children of the soldiers and they functioned as cooks, nurses, and mended clothes. Some were even paid for their services. (Van Cortland House Museum) Prior to Operation Desert Shield/Storm policies and procedures that governed civilian personnel during combat operations were ambivalent or nonexistent. Civilian contractors were used extensively during the Vietnam War. "The heavy use of contractors during that War led the Army to determine that a need existed for a preplanned method for utilizing Contractors on the Battlefield" (GlobalSecurity.org, 1). Policies and procedures codified in directives and regulations following Desert Shield/Storm were a vast improvement over previous documents. During this war there were many contracts awarded for logistics support. This resulted in uneven results. The need for a regulated system to award contracts was evident. Current policies and procedures provide clarity and direction. Issues exist with compensation, Emergency-Essential (E-E) position designation, and accountability. Given that the Army is operating in an asymmetric environment, policies and Procedures that govern E-E civilians must change to meet the new environment. II. Civilian contractors are an asset and combat multipliers. Civilian contractors are assets to combat commanders especially when it comes to logistics. LTG Walker (Commander, 8th US Army, Korean War) said it nicely: ""There is no one but yourself to keep your back door open. You can live without food, but you cannot last long without ammunition." Logistics are vital to war fighting. Civilian contracted logistics moves more soldiers to the fight that would otherwise be hauling boxes of ammunition around (or performing other non-combat duties). The combat commander generally will encounter two types of contractors: system and contingency. "The system contractors are involved in the manufacture and life-cycle management of major systems, such as vehicles, weapons, and aircraft. They provide technical and maintenance support during peacetime and wartime for the systems they produced (Garcia-Perez)." The contingency contractors provide supplies and support to units supporting missions as they occur. These contractors are most often supplied by the Army's LOGCAP program (Logistic Civil Augmentation Program) and have operations setup before or as the troops arrive (Garcia-Perez). Future combat commanders are being trained to recognize where and when contractors should be used. They are also briefed about the role the contractors play as force multipliers. Future commanders will need to decide whether to arm their contractors or expend valuable war fighters to protect the contractors. The downside to having civilian contractors in a combat zone is that commanders are somewhat responsible for their safety thus taking away some of their war fighting assets/abilities. And, the commanders on the ground need to have contingency plans available if the contractors opt out and leave the combat zone. Contractors are not subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice so that leaves the commanders with nothing to hold the contractors in place. Another worry for combat commanders (especially in Iraq) is hiring local contractors and facing the possibility of the workforce being infiltrated by insurgents. Theoretically insurgents can infiltrate and there is always the danger that they will. In fact, in 2004 insurgents infiltrated a U.S. Army dining facility and set off an explosive that killed 22 people and wounded 72 others. That makes local workers hard to trust. III. Duties and Responsibilities of Civilianson the Battlefield. The Department of Defense uses contractor services for a number of reasons. The Military is turning to contractors to fill positions where scarce skills exists, due to reduction in strength or the concerted efforts to privatize certain military functions to then sustain specialized skills for future military deployments or contingencies. The task of the civilians in the battle field has changed as the traditional supporting roles continue to evolve with many different changes. They range from building airfields and providing billeting support and food services, an increasing number of civilians are providing frontline troops with technical support on state-of-the-art weapons systems. According to the researched data civilians will not be armed, unless approved in the limited, by-exception basis of personal defense by the combatant commander. According to the article The law of war and civilians on the battlefield: are we undermining civilian protections, the position under international law, including the Geneva Convention and the Laws of The Hague, is that contractor personnel are considered noncombatants who may legitimately accompany combatants into hostilities, but may not take up arms, (2004). Civilians will not perform force-protection functions like, but not limited to, fortification construction and guarding checkpoints and as we know this is not just de case. Generally, civilians will be assigned duties at echelons-above-division in an effort to minimize their exposure to harm. Civilians should support and participate in military activities as long as they avoid to get integrated into combat operations. The Department of Defense's (DOD's) Law of War Working Group has offered a broad reaffirmation of this demarcation: "A civilian accompanying the Armed Forces in the field may not engage in or be ordered to engage in activities inconsistent with his or her civilian status. "The Army and Air Force, however, appear to accept the notion that civilians can and do perform "duties directly supporting military operations [and thereby] may be subject to direct, intentional attack." Simply, the Army's increased reliance on contracted logistics support and services for such high-tech weapon systems will continue to mandate contractors on the battlefield in ever increasing numbers (U.S. ARMY CGSC, 2004). IV. Accountability and Visibility of Contractors on the Battlefield. Civilians will normally not wear distinctive U.S. military uniforms unless the combat commander or his service component commander authorizes them to do so. However, civilians will still wear a symbol that establishes their civilian status. The conduct by civilians who accompany the force that amounts to direct or active participation in combat is forbidden. Commanders are legally responsible for protecting contractors in their area of operations. Contractors must have enough employees with appropriate skills to meet potential requirements. Contracted support must be integrated into the overall support plan avoiding the direct combat role involvement. Contingency plans must ensure continuation of service if a contractor fails to perform. Additional duties sometimes end up going to soldiers for an undefined period of time. Control of civilian contractors differs greatly from the military command and control concept of units and Soldiers. Commanders do not have "command and control" authority over contract personnel. Contractors are therefore controlled, or more accurately managed, through the management mechanism of the contract itself. Civilians are required to do only that which is specifically required by the contract. Changing the contractor performance requirements changes the terms and conditions of the contract. These changes must be coordinated with the contracting officer. The Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA) of 2000, enacted on 22 November 2000, was designated to extend Federal criminal jurisdiction over civilians accompanying the Armed Forces who commit serious offences overseas when a host country does not exercise criminal jurisdiction. The MEJA, designed to fill a jurisdictional gap, allows for the criminal prosecution of civilian forces accompanying the U.S. armed forces outside the United States. This gives another tool to the commanders in the battlefield. Maintaining discipline among contractor employees who commit minor infractions still remains the responsibility of the contractor's management structure, not the military chain of command (Schmitt, 2005). V. Contractors serve as multipliers for sustainment units. These contractors (LOGCAP) provide combat service support functions to units whose mission is extended duration combat operations. These contractors provide maintenance for vehicles and equipment, run mess halls (dinning facilities), and provide logistics support (clothing exchange, showers, toilet facilities, spare parts). Again, this allows more troops to be used in combat operations. Commanders can then conduct missions with a full compliment of assigned soldiers rather than running short because of soldiers left behind to perform jobs that the contractor can do. The days of soldiers on KP (Kitchen Patrol) peeling potatoes are gone. VI. Sustaining Early Entry Special Operating Forces Sustaining early entry special operating forces and improving force reception are both future joint warfare concepts that are currently being examined by the US Army, Navy, and Air Force. The early entry special ops forces would be met by an advising host that would brief about current conditions on the ground and providing information to assist with improving force reception. Force reception is critical when initially entering a theatre of operation. This includes ensuring that logistical support is in place to quickly move a force in. Moving supplies and equipment to staging areas and putting soldiers on buses to those staging areas is very important to mission accomplishment. Force protection (security) is the most important initial task. The only forces than don't require staging areas are those that drop-in (airborne). They will eventually need logistical support though. One of the most important and appreciated jobs the contractors in Saudi Arabia did during Desert Shield was meet the airplanes after they had landed and handed each soldier a liter bottle of water as they deplaned. VII. Civilian involvement in U.S. Military operations and the changing face of the battlefield. Civilians have been a part of military operations since the beginning of U.S. Military history. These civilians have played an important role in the success of the military. They have cooked, mended, doctored, and nursed, supplied, and housed the military. During the Civil War civilians would ride in their horse drawn buggies with their lunches to be entertained by watching a battle between the blue and grey uniformed soldiers. They were shocked to see men actually die. During the Vietnam War civilian contractors and Vietnamese civilians were a big part of the U.S. war machine. When the United States began working on transforming South Vietnam into a nation it poured money into the country. "A staggering array of specialists and technicians, from civil police, public administration, public finance, military, counterespionage, propaganda, industry, agriculture, education and more immediately descended upon Saigon (Carter, 2003)". These same contractors were later evacuated from Saigon when it fell to the North Vietnamese (Viet Cong) During the Gulf War in the early 1990's contractors became ever more present and visible as part of the U.S. war machine. Civilian airlines were chartered to ferry units to the staging areas in Saudi Arabia. Tent cities were constructed with the assistance of Saudi workers. During that war the Army was still using soldiers to perform support tasks such as logistics, manning mess halls, and performing maintenance on equipment. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have drastically changed the face of the battlefield. LOGCAP has been used to contract out anything that can be. It is not uncommon to see private security forces armed to the teeth. Civilian truck drivers are driving military logistics vehicles. Civilian mechanics are a visible force. Contractors are rebuilding the infrastructure in Iraq (restoring electrical power and running water) There are local news reports about civilian contracted truck driver's being kidnapped and killed. American contractors advertise on jobs websites looking for people willing to go to Iraq and work as cooks, telecommunications specialists, water treatment plant operators, and road and airport maintenance personnel. There are job postings for just about any job you can think of. These companies are being paid well to provide these services. Those willing to go work in Iraq of Afghanistan are paid well. Many sign contracts before deploying acknowledging that they are aware of the risks of working in a war zone. Once workers are found and flown to Iraq they discover that they must work in harsh conditions. All these civilian contracted individuals are used to free up soldiers to conduct combat operations thus they are force multipliers. It is worthy to note that the concept of the battle field has changed. In other wars the forward line of battle could be identified and combat support was kept at the "rear". This is no longer true. The battlefield is fluid and changes constantly. Insurgents move and change their positions and targets daily. The point here is that everyone who goes to Iraq is entering a war zone and is at risk of being kidnapped or killed. The contractors that are most visible on the battlefield are the Arabic interpreters that accompany soldiers into battle. They generally are unarmed and dependent on the soldiers for their safety. Most are South West Asia expatriates who have immigrated to the United States. VIII. The disadvantages of civilians on the battlefield: assets, costs, and international law on protecting civilians in combat. There are many challenges to maintaining contractors on the battlefield. U.S. Army Field Manual 3.100.21 (FM 100-21) provides guidance to field commanders on working with civilian contractors. This manual, updated in 2003, provides information to commanders on how to use civilian contractors as force multipliers. The field manual provides guidance in planning, deploying and redeploying civilian contractors. Managing, protecting and providing support to the contractors is outlined in the publication. This manual also helps protect the troops by outlining anti-terrorist threats from contractors and how to handle them. Lastly, this manual provides guidance on the legal issues of having civilian contractors on the battlefield. IX. Summary. The battlefields of today are nothing like they were in the past. The Global War on Terror has created yet another battlefield with characteristics unlike others. There is no longer a forward line of battle and a "rear" to retreat to. Anyplace in Iraq could be considered the battlefield. Civilians on the battlefield have changed the face of war. The U.S. Military routinely hires contractors to perform non-combat duties to free soldiers and commanders to focus on war fighting. Contractors function as force multipliers by doing non-combat jobs that would otherwise be done by soldiers thus freeing soldiers for combat operations. Historically civilians have been on American battlefields in various functions. They provided mostly service support activities in the "rear". Contracted civilians were used during the Vietnam War and Desert Shield/Storm. It became very evident during Desert Shield/Storm that there needed to be a more controlled way of contracting out jobs. During that conflict many contracts were meted out with little oversight and unpredictable results. The list of jobs contracted out is long and are advertised as great opportunities to work and receive good pay in return. The lowest job listed paid $60,000 but most contracted jobs paid between 100 and 175 thousand dollars. The ads boast "free transportation there and back". I would hope so! Since the beginning of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq contractors have been used extensively as force multipliers and in support of extended duration combat operations. This has allowed commanders to focus on their missions. The downside to having contractors ever present is the need to provide security for the workers. Commanders find themselves responsible for the safety of contractors and this acts as a force reducer. Commanders also have little legal recourse when contractors bail and head home. Current policy and management structure in use by the military in Iraq is well spelled out in "Nation Building" (McGuinnes) doctrine. Funding is done at the federal level and paid through LOGCAP (Army). Contracting and oversight are conducted through the PCO (Project Contracting Office) in coordination with the Iraqi Reconstruction Management Office. Finally the Defense Contract Management Agency was created to assist in contracting out support activities. The Army must help create and adhere to a combat commander's theatre management policies to make sure contractors deploying with the force are used both effectively and efficiently. New plans for better overall integration of civilians will greatly assist in meeting the needs of combatant commanders and their staffs. References American Psychological Association (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Carter, James. The Merchants of Blood. War Profiteering from Vietnam to Iraq. 2003. Retrieved February 17, 2007 < http://www.counterpunch.org/carter12112003.html> Ehab, Salah Major, US Army. Logisticians Don't Always Wear Green - Contractors as Force Multipliers. Retrieved February 17, 2007 http://www.quartermaster.army.mil/oqmg/Professional_Bulletin/1999/summer1999/Contracors%20as%20Force%20Multipliers.htm Garcia-Perez, Isolde K. Captain U.S. Army.Contractors On The Battlefiekd of the Twentyfirst Century. Retrieved February 17, 2007 Global Security .ORG Logistics Civil Augmentation Program LOGCAP. Retrieved 02/17/07 http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/logcap.htm> Jobline International. (2006) American Contractor with Job Opportunities in Iraq and Overseas. Retrieved February 17, 2007 www.jobline.net/jobiraq1.htm McGuinnes, John J. LTC U.S. Army. (2005) U.S. Army War College. Contracting to Rebuild a Nation: The Roles and Responsibilities of U.S. Contracting Activities in Iraq. Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. Schmitt, Gleen R. (2005). Amentding the military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act of 2000: rushing to close the unforeseen loophole. Retrieved February 9, 2007, from Find Articles Web site: http://www.findarticles.com U.S. Army CGSC (2004). The law of war and civilians on the battlefield: are we undermining civilian protections. Retrieved February 9, 2007, from Find Articles Web site: http://www.findarticles.com U.S. Army FM 3.100.21 (FM100-21). Headquarters U.S. Army Washington D.C. 2003. Retrieved February 22, 2007. http://www.osc.army.mil/gc/files/fm3_100x21.pdf Van Cortlandt House Museum. Camp Followers. Van Cortlandt Park. Broadway at West 246th StreetBronx, NY 10471 Retrieved 02/17/07 http://www.vancortlandthouse.org/Campfollowers.htm Read More