An Cosantóir

www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE | 23 others sought to gain from it. Throughout the world, the increase in the drug trade witnessed the arrival of the drug cartels and their private armies. These forces were often bet- ter trained and better equipped than the country's standing army. Trained by ex-military personnel, the drug lords used mercenaries to protect their interests and enforce their will on the local population. Many others who had made their money in the late 1970s and 1980s decided to open legitimate businesses where per- sonal security could be provided at a price. Businessmen and foreign dignitaries could employ contract security personal with military training more cheaply than hiring direct. The era of Private Military Contractors (PMCs) had arrived. The 21st century was to explode onto the world stage with the attack on the Twin Towers in New York on 11th Septem- ber 2001. Since this event now known universally as 9/11, the world has been taken over by a global war on terror, in which there are many armed players who wear no uniform. The major powers were reducing their standing armies at the time and were taken by surprise by the attack. As a result hundreds of thousands of trained soldiers came onto the jobs market. When the war against terrorism erupted with the inva- sion of Iraq and Afghanistan, the hired soldier had become not simply a mercenary but a vital part of modern privatised warfare. Hundreds of thousands of PMCs flooded into the countries on close protection details with companies such as Blackwater, Executive Outcomes and Dyncorp International. Controversy surrounded many of the companies for the operating procedures in the field and the deaths of a num- ber of employees that made headlines around the world. These contractors had a poor reputation amongst profes- sional government soldiers who classed them as a liability on the battlefield. Those employed by contractors had a variety of backgrounds that ranged from the experienced ex-soldier to the adventurer to the criminal. When opera- tions went wrong (which they often did) contractors relied on brute force and sheer luck to extract them from the situa- tion and in many cases had to call for government assistance to get them out of a tight spot. Public opinion was shocked that private armies were being employed on government contracts. The public wanted to believe that their wars were being fought by patriotic young men and women while in reality, mercenaries often outnumbered regular troops on the ground. While security details made up the bulk of the contracts, deniable operations were also being carried out. Elsewhere, Governments bankrolled thousands of contracts with Private Military Contractors. Oil, its acquisition and its protection is one of the major themes of PMCs. In countries such as Columbia, Algeria, Georgia and Pakistan, oil com- panies supported by governments employed hired guns to protect their interests. Today, there are still those ex-soldiers who, attracted by a sense of adventure and the possibility of large amounts of money, take up positions abroad as guns for hire. Some become military advisors while others provide per- sonal protection for digni- taries and officials. While fighting as a mercenary, one's morals are often called into account as a soldier must choose whether to fight for money and forsake their obligation to uphold international law and take part in clandestine operations. While the grass may look greener on the oth- er side, one must take into account the following. Many Private Military Contractor companies make limited or no pension provision or life insur- ance cover for their operators. Protection and equipment provided to PMC personnel are often inadequate. They lack armour and their weapons are often of poor quality. Profes- sional standards are lacking in the field. There is no moral commitment to company staff when things go wrong and air support or a medivac are non-existent. As a mercenary you are effectively on your own and always will be. Mercenary leader Mike Hoare in 1964. Members of 5th Mercenary Commando with Ferret armoured car in Congo, circa 1965. The French Foreign Legion in 1954.

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