War for Profit: Army Contracting Vs. Supporting the TroopsWASHINGTON — The Army official who managed the Pentagon's largest contract in Iraq says he was ousted from his job when he refused to approve paying more than $1 billion in questionable charges to KBR..." (James Risen, New York Times, June 17, 2008) This book by that very Army official provides an eye-opening firsthand account of how the US Government hands over your tax dollars to support contractors like KBR and Halliburton, rather than supporting the troops. This authoritative and well-documented record of the LOGCAP contract in Iraq and Afghanistan is at the same time a study of US participation in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the workings of government agencies and Congress. The first chapter sets the scene, briefly narrating the author's work on behalf of US military efforts, especially in Iraq. Subsequent chapters illustrate specific issues in contractor relations that resulted in unsafe conditions for the troops and blew millions of taxpayer dollars. Loyal and hard-working government officials and employees who tried to keep things on track were turned away and those who sought to rein in the free-for-all were sacked. The author reveals problems with KBR's provision of transportation, electricity, food and water. Other chapters are more analytic and evaluate Army logistics, Congressional oversight and the question of whether letting contracts for this kind of support is appropriate at all--the kind of problems that concern military policy leaders, defense analysts, public policy analysts and scholars in these areas, as well as the citizens in whose name this is all done. |
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acquisition actions additional administration Afghanistan analysis Army’s award fee boards base camp business systems Camp Anaconda Camp Arifjan Camp Slayer civilian Claire McCaskill combat Commission on Wartime Committee Congress Congressional Contract Management Contracting Command contracting officer contractor DCAA DCMA decision DFAC dining facilities DoD IG report DoD Inspector DynCorp electrical electrocution evaluation fixed price force functions Government Halliburton hearing Henry Waxman incentive inherently governmental investigation Iraq Iraq and Afghanistan Iraqi issue KBR employees KBR’s Kuwait LOGCAP contract LOGCAP III contract LOGCAP program LOGCAP support maintenance major ment MG Johnson military million mission negotiations operations organic support outsourcing oversight performance personnel planning problems procurement proposal Qatar Ramadi received responsibility risk ROWPU SERCO significant soldiers SSG Maseth staff subcontracts Task Order 59 testimony theater tion tract troops trucks Truman Committee U.S. Army USACE Wartime Contracting Waxman withhold
Bibliographic information
| Title | War for Profit: Army Contracting Vs. Supporting the Troops |
| Author | Charles M. Smith |
| Publisher | Algora Publishing, 2012 |
| ISBN | 0875869270, 9780875869278 |
| Length | 284 pages |
| Subjects | › › History / Military / Afghan War (2001-) History / Military / United States |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |