2 of 4

Yes

Write now Article Tools

Sure. Why not?

My question I ask for those that are voting 'no' is "Would you be willing to enlist in the military right now?". I expect an equal number of no's. I could go on about how the US has been using mercenaries for decades to help with operations like Iraq and Afghanistan, but other authors have already done that so, I'll leave that dead horse alone.

Instead, I'm going to talk about numbers. Recruiting numbers are dropping rapidly because people don't want to join the military during a time of war. I mean seriously, who would want to actually be in a job where you might get hurt? The military is only about getting training for real world jobs and money for college.

Another problem they're having right now is retention. After multiple deployments quite a few servicemen and women are tired of being away from their families and they'd rather not deal with it any longer. When you see Iraqi children more than your own it can be pretty hard. Many marriages have been broken up by the war and these servicemen rightfully don't want it to continue.

It also doesn't help the fact that quite a few countries have decided to pull out their support of the coalition because it's no longer profitable for them or they've given in to threats from terrorists (and would still get bombed later. Go figure.).

Of course, the biggest reason why some civilian contractors could be brought in is because they're in the pocket (or vice-versa) of a prominent politician.

One such company is Kellog, Brown and Root, a division of Haliburton (which is partially owned by Vice President, Dick Cheney). They mostly do construction, maintenance, and food service. Their presence helps keep the coalition bases running and they've been a major help for the military. Many of the bases they've built up have since been turned over to the Iraqi government.

Is it right? Yes. We're from a market economy and what's the matter with bringing it with us to our battlefields?

Buy Your Own Truth

-Ferret

Learn more about this author, David Furritus.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Is it right to use private contractors or mercenaries to fill roles in the US military??
We want to hear your view. Write now!