Can anyone explain to me just what exactly is a "Civilian Contractor"?

Answer 1

Civilian Contractors work for the government, simply stated. However, there are literally hundreds of things these people do. I am a soldier and work with them everyday. Some are doctors, plumbers, builders, office managers, superintendents, lawnmowers, foresters, data entry clerks and anything else; but my favorite CC's are the ones that work out in our training areas and they get paid good money to be fake Iraqis. Some are fake citizens, fake terrorists and anyone that might be found in the real war-zone. They 'work' in fake stores, fake banks, fake post offices and even fake daycares. All CC's also have a rank of sorts. Many CC's are retired or former military and what rank/pay-grade they were when active helps determine what they will get paid as a CC. I believe (not sure) their rank structure is from GS-1 through GS-14. The higher the number the more pay and authority they have. But it isn't like the actual military, a GS-12 won't be telling a GS-4 to go clean his room. I guess a more accurate term than 'authority' would be 'influence'. Some CC's a great people and great workers and some aren't. The military would be nothing without good CC's.

Answer 2

A civilian that works for a company that hold a DOD contract or has a contract of his own. They typically work on a contract basis and are not permanent employees of the company,

I spent 18 months in Iraq as a civilian contractor driving and flying all over the country for my job. Many of us are former military.

DIOGENES...get you facts accurate. Not all contractors work for Halliburton...I didn't. I have a contact list of over 50 companies doing work in Iraq. And the average contractor does not make $120,000...I sure didn't and my convoys were hit 7 times by IEDs....and people died...all civilians. And every contractor I knew worked 7 days a week 10-16 hours per day. And no, there isn't any overtime in IRAQ. We put in long hours and so do the troops.

Answer 3

A civilian, usually hired through his company, to work on a government project, but is not an employee of the government.

For example, in the old days, the Army used to use its own cooks to feed the troops in a war zone...and in some cases they still do, but the majority of that task has been contracted out to civilians. The Army claims it saves money...and it may...I'm not convinced.

In my case, I work as a contractor doing curriculum development for a military school. I have specialized skills that the Army does not train its Soldiers in, plus I bring to the table 17 years of Army experience. I also work for less than the Army would pay a Captain or Major to do my same work, thus it's a win-win situation.



To Grey: (post below this one)

Civilian contractors are not the same as GS employees. GS stands for Government Service, and those individuals actually draw a paycheck from the US Government. Contractors, by nature, do NOT work for the Government, rather they work for companies which are contracted by the government (hence the name Contractors). There is a BIG difference.

Answer 4

Civilian contractors go way back in history.

During roman times they were called plebs and conscripts.

Plebs worked on civil projects or aided in support activitys like cooking or transporting.

Conscripts were like modern day mercinarys (hired guns).

These have been used throughout history since they can be raised up rapidly. As opposed to standard military. Also the other benifit is the nations useing them did not need to have such large armys constantly in reserve for a time when needed.

These civilian contractors have been vital throughout history. They could be made up of national civilians, other local nations, or from local population of the nation under siege.

In the wars around the world Militarys throughout the world are involved in conflicts. (currently about 30+ major conflict areas - Iraq is just most talked about). This tactic, as it were is currently being used by terrorists as well as National Militarys.

It is perhaps more vital than ever in todays climate. Since in previous wars (mostly ones pre WW1) the enemy normally was only a local populace.

However now with Terror groups sprouting up around the world under a united banner the best way to counter this is with civilian contractors and more so the local populations are maybe the best to use in nations like somalia or others since locals have a better understanding of the culture, persons of influence, and local geography. (the banner for terror being anti western, anti-Eorupean, and anti Isreal). The terror orgs are also united under the religious Jihad pricipal also known as the radical islamic movement aka islamic extreemists.

Best Wishes,

Ian Bach

Answer 5

A civilian (non-military) that works for a Company that is contracted (paid for) by the government; hence, Civilian Contractor.

Answer 6

A civilian or civilian company that does work for a government agency.

Answer 7

They are hired civilian employees NOT subject to military law, that is, the UCMJ.

Answer 8

A Civillian that works for the DOD. Or a civillan that works for a company hired and under contract to the DOD That simple. ........ Shadow Stalker

Answer 9

It is a person hired by Halliberton or one of its subsidiaries. They do the same work as the soldiers but they get $120,000 a year while the grunt gets $22,000. It is the way this government is privatizing this war.

Answer 10

Throughout history, military forces have depended on civilian contractors of one sort or another to give their military personnel flexibility, or to fulfill logistical and support functions that soldiers do not need to do.

In ancient and medieval history up until at least the 1600s, it was not unusual to depend on armies made up primarily of mercenaries and civilian support. George Washington’s Continental Army depended on civilians for a variety of support roles: transportation, carpentry, engineering, food and medicine. These were logistical functions, considered either menial or too specialized to expect soldiers to do them. Frenchman Marquis de Lafayette was one of the first Military Contractors in the US. In 1777, he purchased a ship, and with a crew of adventurers set sail for America to fight in the American Revolution against British colonial rule.

The Marquis de Lafayette joined the Revolutionary Army as a major general and was assigned to the staff of George Washington. He served with distinction, leading American forces to several victories. Upon his return home to France, he worked closely with US Ambassadors Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. Even after technically leaving the service of the United States, he continued to work in its interests.

Logistical, combat and diplomatic functions like this have been the domain of civilian contractors ever since, up through the Vietnam Conflict and today. Often, the contractors hired were locals, people who could be counted upon to know the area, the local foodstuffs, and to be able to find the proper resources for military needs. Other times, they were brought in from the United States, just as the soldiers were.

THE VIETNAM WAR: A CHANGE OF PHILOSOPHY
In Vietnam, there was a significant and basic change in the way the military treated civilian contractors. Business Week, in March 1965, called it a “war by contract.” This was largely because standard military equipment was suddenly technologically advanced, while the average soldier had little technical training besides basic combat skills. There was suddenly a serious need for civilian contractors with specialized skills to work side by side with the troops. Field maintenance crews with companies like General Electric or Johnson, Drake, and Piper dodged bullets at DaNang and Pleiku to maintain and repair field equipment and infrastructure for troops, who desperately needed them. Instead of being kept safely behind military lines, civilian Contractors were in the same danger as the soldiers they were supporting. This was not the only reason that civilian contractors were active in the Vietnam Theater.

Before the war even started, Air America was field-lifting supplies behind enemy lines to covert US Special Forces operatives who were training the CIA formed South Vietnamese’s, Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG). Food, supplies, weapons, intelligence and transportation would have been impossible to access without Air America pilots and Civilian Contractor ground crews who were maintaining Air America’s airplanes and helicopters. The U.S. was still not yet officially involved in the Vietnam conflict, and to commit American military planes and soldiers would have caused the international incident that the U.S. was trying to avoid at the time.

The men and women working behind enemy lines out of uniform were a unique breed. Some were ex-military, or ex-CIA, with the training necessary to perform covert operations. They did not have the same status, however, of an American soldier, who soon learned how faithless the enemy was, as the number of tortured POWs started to mount. Others were young men (few women) who were moved by high salaries, or by a taste for adventure, and even by patriotism or idealism.

When the war ended, some ex civilian contractors entered the CIA or other US military or paramilitary service afterward; others went on into private life, often finding successful careers. One ex-civilian contractor went on to run a large branch of Goodwill Industries International on the Pacific Rim, successfully transforming his experience with Asian culture into an executive job after he made millions starting and running a 400-employee company in San Francisco. There were numerous other civilian contractors at this time, almost all working for the same companies that built U.S. army electronics or field equipment. These companies and contractors included General Electric, branches of AT&T, Johnson, Drake and Piper, and even Michigan State University.

PRIVATE CONTRACTORS TODAY
The temptation of a high-paying overseas job today and the poor job market for former military personnel often outweighs the risks involved. It’s currently estimated by the Brookings Institute that for every ten military personnel involved in the Iraq war, a contractor is there to maintain equipment or work for the military in some other capacity; because of security concerns, almost every single one is American or from a European Union or NATO member country.

There are dozens of small private military companies and security contractors that provide PSD (Personal Security Detail) teams to high ranking US, European and Iraqi officials, or escort supply convoys through the dangerous “Mad Max” highways of Iraq; these are most frequently the men who die at the hands of insurgents.

Today, the U.S. military relies on Contractors to maintain 28% of its weapon systems. Ideally, they would like to use contractors to maintain 50%. Military contracting today appears to be a real growth industry, particularly for those with the skills necessary to work with the US Military. R&R is more likely to be in Dubai or Bangkok (like their Vietnam Contractor predecessors) and salaries are sky-high. Special-forces-trained Security Operators make over a thousand dollars a day; more than ten times the wage of enlisted equivalents; even a bus driver makes eighty thousand dollars a year tax-free, and companies are starting to offer juicy incentives like profit sharing.

Whatever else can be said, this much is true: as long as the US military has bases overseas, are involved in peacekeeping with the UN, or involved in some sort of conflict, Contractors will always be hungry for qualified workers, and the workers will always be hungry for the high paying jobs and adventure that can only be found working as a Civilian Contractor in a theater of conflict.