The mercenarization of the US military
While there have been numerous stories recently about the increased use of Private Military Contractors (PMCs) like Blackwater in Iraq and Afghanistan, and what the use of such companies without any effective oversight or legal framework is doing to the whole, “hearts and minds” strategy, there is little or no focus on what this is doing to the military itself.
The US has always fought its major wars with citizen-soldiers; average, run-of-the-mill men called up to defend their country and performing heroically. It’s part of the mythos of the nation, from the minutemen to the “greatest generation”, and for the most part it has served them well.
That model broke down in Vietnam because the war dragged on without any clear threat to the US as a whole, and the American people stopped supporting drafting soldiers to fight in such a conflict. The military subsequently became an all-volunteer force. Professional soldiers instead of citizen-soldiers would fight future conflicts.
The Iraq War has seen the extension of this, not just by relying on mercenaries to fill the gaps the volunteer force doesn’t have the men to fill, but by making the volunteer force a mercenary force in its own right.
Two recent stories to illustrate what I mean:
The Army is offering cash bonuses of up to $35,000 to retain young officers serving in key specialties -- including military intelligence, infantry and aviation -- in an unprecedented bid to forestall a critical shortage of officer ranks that have been hit hard by frequent deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
. . .
In response, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates approved the unusual incentives last month as a temporary measure for this fiscal year, and over the past three weeks, more than 6,000 Army captains have accepted cash awards ranging from $25,000 to $35,000 in exchange for committing to serve three more years.
And:
The Pentagon has paid more than $100 million in bonuses to veteran Green Berets and Navy SEALs, reversing the flow of top commandos to the corporate world where security companies such as Blackwater USA are offering big salaries.
. . .
Overall, more than 1,200 of the military's most specialized personnel near or already eligible for retirement have opted for payments of up to $150,000 in return for staying in uniform several more years.
The US government’s decision to privatize war-fighting has not only proved a boon for mercenary contractors, but has made the US military itself a competitor for top military talent on the open market. Where before the call to serve one’s country would have been the enticement to keep men in uniform, it’s now moving more heavily towards financial incentives to offset private competition.
Gives a whole new meaning to “the best military money can buy”.
