Private Security Contractors in Iraq: Where are we going?
In the second part of the two-day hearing on the proper role and oversight of private security contractors (PSCs) supporting U.S. operations in Southwest Asia, held on June 21, 2010, the federal Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan heard two panels of witnesses on America’s use of private security contractors in Iraq.
The hearing began at 9:30 a.m. in Room 106 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC.
The first panel testified on roles, responsibilities, planning, and program management of PSCs, all in the context of the U.S. military drawdown in Iraq and the pending hand-off of security responsibilities there from the Department of Defense to the Department of State. Witnesses for the first panel were Gary J. Motsek, Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Program Support), Department of Defense; Edward M. Harrington, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Procurement), Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology); Charlene Lamb, Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Programs, Department of State; and David B. Blackshaw, Overseas Security Division Chief, Office of Security, U.S. Agency for International Development. In addition, Randy Streufert, Director, Overseas Security Division Chief, U.S. Agency for International Development, joined Mr. Blackshaw at the Commission’s invitation after the start of the hearing and gave testimony on behalf of USAID.
Second-panel witnesses were executives of private security firms who spoke on oversight, responsibility and management, determination of inherently governmental functions, performance of armed PSCs, and identification and implementation of lessons learned. Witnesses for the second panel were Don Ryder, vice president, training/mentoring and security, DynCorp International; Kristi Clemens Rogers, president, Aegis LLC; Ignacio Balderas, director and CEO, Triple Canopy. (A fourth PSC executive, Jerry Torres, CEO, Torres Advanced Enterprise Solutions, had agreed to testify, but did not attend the hearing.)
http://www.wartimecontracting.gov/index.php/hearings/commission/hearing2010-06-21#sigProGalleria306c05d929
Video:
Gary Motsek, Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Program Support), Department of Defense Charlene Lamb, Deputy Assistant Director for International Programs, U.S. Department of State David Blackshaw, chief, Overseas Security Division, USAID Edward Harrington, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Procurement) Panel 2:
Don Ryder, vice president and program manager, Civilian Police Programs (CIVPOL), DynCorp International Kristi Clemens Rogers, president, Aegis Defense Services Ignacio Balderas, director and chief executive officer, Triple Canopy Jerry Torres, chief executive officer, Torres Advanced Enterprise Solutions [Invited; did not appear]