PMCs: What is the media missing?

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Well, not necessarily an "in Iraq" story, but I am currently a Military Contractor in Hohenfels, Germany, at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center. My job is to write "training scripts" for various units who want a more sophisticated type of training. Our "scripts" include complex scenarios that reflect what is really happening in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo.

A couple things that don't get mentioned about some PMC positions: First, the Army's rotation/promotion/assignment system makes it unlikely that an Active Army guy would be very good at doing this particular job. It requires a combination of Knowledge, Skills and Ability that would be tough to get just by picking a guy at random and assigning him/her to my position. I have an unusually varied (military and civilian) background, in addition to decent writing abilities.

Second, while contributing to the fight as a contractor, I, as well as several of my fellow writers, are also Reservists, (we're all prior Active Duty, as well) who drill on weekends, do the Annual Training thing, and are subject to and have been mobilized for service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The pay is not super-great, especially when compared to the Active Duty Army. I get paid significantly less as a contractor than I would earn as an Active Duty Officer. When you see that a truck driver or security guy gets paid $100,000 to $150,000 to go to Iraq for a year, you really need to look at the entire package that is offered to an Army guy. I have a friend who is an E-6/SSG, with 9 kids (I kid you not), and because of the kids, he receives benefits worth more than I do as a contractor. (Free [or nearly free] housing and medical care, for instance.)

I've been an ROTC contractor, as well, and there is a program where I like contractors over active duty soldiers. First of all, everyone in the program is either retired military, or at least reserves, so they "know the deal." Second, the contractors tend to be able to relate better to civilian kids and civilian institutions.

During my tour in Iraq, we dealt with contracts and contractors (This was during the opening phase) and there was significant waste during that time, primarily because the Army was sloppy, and didn't ensure proper contract supervision. Lots of times, soldiers were doing work specified in the contract for the contractor, so we were being billed for work by the contractor that soldiers, mainly in ignorance, were doing themselves.

Mostly the contracting officers failed to communicate to the (Army) people supervising the contracts what their duties/rights/obligations were, so the people supervising the contracts, in the interest of "getting things done" caused the Army to "steal from itself."