Afghan War outsourced – US lost more civilians than servicemen in 2011

As the US readies to walk away from Afghanistan after a decade of destruction, a drawdown of troops is already causing a drop in military deaths. As those numbers drop, however, private employees hired by defense contractors are dying in droves.

For the first time since American troops began a military operation in Afghanistan over a decade ago, casualties suffered by private sector employees have surpassed that of US troops. In 2011, at least 430 workers employed by American contractors lost their lives as the US began relying less on military enforcements and more on performance by way of private companies. By comparison, the US military reports that 418 of their own died last year.

As the Department of Defense discusses plans to pull out troops from Afghanistan ahead of schedule, the transition away from the government hired guns that instead favors a roster staffed by private contractors, the number of civilian deaths could only increase in the years to come.      Full Raed