Party: Blackwater Style

[Vladimir]

Well at least they are behaving like proper mercinaries.

Agreed; and it's not unlike many people paid to fight wars in the past. It is, however, most decidedly ungentlemanly.

[Strike For The South]

Agreed; and it's not unlike many people paid to fight wars in the past. It is, however, most decidedly ungentlemanly.

That's why the Germans lost the revolution

[Fragony]

Making love and kinda not war a few AK's common, not war on drugs at least, and still you hippies complain.

[gaelic cowboy]

Are they not called XE now?? this may be differ crowd

[drone]

Are they not called XE now?? this may be differ crowd

They renamed the company Xe, but that happened February 2009. Same dudes. Apparently, they also have lots of shell companies set up to get around the various contracting bans.

[Vladimir]

They renamed the company Xe, but that happened February 2009. Same dudes. Apparently, they also have lots of shell companies set up to get around the various contracting bans.

A great paraphrase from a Colonel I met: I hate seeing people getting paid $100,000 to do the same I kicked them out for as a private.

[Major Robert Dump]

They are jerks, especially when they don't get their way at the volleyball court, the dfac or the motorpool.

That being said, they are more dependable in a firefight than ASG or ANP as e found out today at FOB Gardez. I am fine, thanks for asking, although 4 of us with pistols managed to keep the FOB from being overrun when the ASG abandoned their posts. I took one of their AKs and used it when I ran out of 9mm. I was wearing PTs.

Blackwater gives a bad name to the rest of the contractors. My opinion of contractors has vastly changed for the better after seeing how much work they can accomplish compared to the red tape that is US ROE.

Only 10 percent of foreign contractors are combat/security related. The rest ride around in regular vehicles dressed as Afghans and oversee worthwhile projects at a much more efficient bang-for-the-buck than a PRT or BCT ever could. Only special forces have a similar success rate, because they are outside the typical rule and power point umbrella

[Shibumi]

Mercs will be mercs will be mercs.

Kudos to them for having a good time doing what they like, though.

With mercs you get what you pay for - mercs. So do not be too surprised.

These stories that the populace will see as horrid should have been expected, heck, they are expected.

If you want a national fight to be fought with national rules, then use a national army. If you want it merc style, go with mercs.

Mercs are goood at the things they are good at, doing stuff without asking questions or running to the media, and they are steady in a combat situation.

As a private contractor, Iwould go with mercs rather than trying to sway government funds. I know both methods are used though.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

They are jerks, especially when they don't get their way at the volleyball court, the dfac or the motorpool.

That being said, they are more dependable in a firefight than ASG or ANP as e found out today at FOB Gardez. I am fine, thanks for asking, although 4 of us with pistols managed to keep the FOB from being overrun when the ASG abandoned their posts. I took one of their AKs and used it when I ran out of 9mm. I was wearing PTs.

Blackwater gives a bad name to the rest of the contractors. My opinion of contractors has vastly changed for the better after seeing how much work they can accomplish compared to the red tape that is US ROE.

Only 10 percent of foreign contractors are combat/security related. The rest ride around in regular vehicles dressed as Afghans and oversee worthwhile projects at a much more efficient bang-for-the-buck than a PRT or BCT ever could. Only special forces have a similar success rate, because they are outside the typical rule and power point umbrella

Well now, sounds to me as though the OP's question was just answered. MRD's experience may be anecdotal in research terms, but I'm gonna give him 10 outa 10 for narrative credibility.

MRD: Is it SOP to have you and yours out there ONLY with sidearms, without even something heavier "sitting in a suitcase" nearby? That's scary.