The SysAdmin is the military-market nexus personified--and personnelified
Good piece by August Cole, who interviewed me in the past for Marketwatch.
Here's the start:
U.S. troop drawdown looms over Iraq contractors By August Cole, MarketWatch Last Update: 8:03 PM ET Aug 18, 2005SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Moves by the U.S. military to relinquish responsibility to Iraq's security forces raise big questions over who will safeguard the shattered country's reconstruction in what is the biggest effort since the Marshall Plan.
The private security companies already protecting American officials and workers throughout the country may find themselves taking up some of the slack as the U.S. looks to bring home some of its 138,000 troops there.
"This has gone far beyond what it has in past conflicts"
Rep. David PriceSecurity spending is a windfall for the mostly privately held companies at work in Iraq. At the same time, it's a drain on budgets.
"One suspects that one way of compensating might be to do more private contracting," said Rep. David Price, D-N.C., author of a bill that seeks greater public disclosure of the stakes involved and oversight of security contracts in Iraq.
For the full story: http://marketwatch.com/news/archivedStory.asp
The SysAdmin is all about transitions, and the handoff from uniforms to private sector will be the hardest of all. The lessons are just beginning in Iraq.
Are we still listening?