Thanks to those who offered a welcome. I'm happy to participate in these types of debates.
One of the major distinctions between contractors and the traditional usage of mercenararies is that PMC's are generally banned from participating in DA (Direct Action). This does not extinguish their right to defend themselves from death or grevious bodily harm, or prevent the same to another person.
The other major distinguishing difference is that the majority of the PMC's share citizenship with the host entity. An American guarding a gate at an American military base overseas under contract, should in no way be viewed differently than a DoD police officer, under color of authority, at a base in New Mexico. This is common on a number of CONUS posts, and an argument could be made as to why they are needed when a large MP/FPO contingent could be made available. Money, and mission requirements, length of training ramp up, length of perishable assignments, reliability. A guy with all that, now making XXX number of dollars a day, performing a subset a task order he was originally performing under less well paying, sometimes more demeaning circumstances also does not fit the traditional mercenary image. This person very well may have more loyalty to the nation, they simply serve under a different 'branch' for lack of a better term.
Furthermore, high threat VIP protection in the middle east has taken off as an artform, and niche all it's own. Contractor support was secured because certain available assets were judged unprepared.
Initially, there may have been some chest thumping about plausibility-deniability warriors, but that was short lived. The Wild West atmosphere died quickly under the strain from media scandals like Abu Ghraib.
Pentagon is pushing to bring DoD contractors under UCMJ, and FM's and doctrine are being developed to isolate DoD contractors under hierarchical chains of command that report to national authorities.
Strictly looking at this from the viewpoint of armed contractors. Support contractors are a different group altogether. Much like the distinction between combat arms and combat support. Mutually supportive, but apples and oranges.
Forgive my rambling, it's dark, I'm cold, and tired.
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