CIVILIANIZING THE FORCE
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James Joyner | Wednesday, November 5, 2003 |
Army Times also reports the following:
Fort Campbell’s gate guards will be getting some relief and the community will benefit from more local jobs when a private company takes over security on post before year’s end.Akal Security, Inc., a New Mexico-based firm, has recently been awarded a nearly $10 million annual contract to hire about 400 local people for post security.
The move is in line with the Department of Defense’s goal to streamline military installations to save taxpayers’ money and let service members take care of other jobs. Most of the security on post now is done by Army active duty and reservists who need to be freed up for training, overseas duty or just some time off.
“During a time of extreme personnel constraint with Army active duty, Army Reserves and National Guard, this contract will allow military police to perform broader mission-related security versus infrastructure security operations,” said post spokesman George Heath. “This is expected to positively impact the economic and employment statistics in all the surrounding communities. This contract best serves the needs of the American people, the U.S. Army and the American soldier.”
Carlisle Barracks, home of the Army War College, has civilian guards already and I suspect many other posts do as well. I suspect this is actually a logical move, although it is somewhat ironic when we’re sending soldiers elsewhere to guard overseas assets.
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.
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