Comments on: Private US Team==mercenaries http://archpundit.com/blog/2006/12/20/private-us-teammercenaries/ Illinois, From Misery Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:55:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: jerry 101 http://archpundit.com/blog/2006/12/20/private-us-teammercenaries/#comment-7980 jerry 101 Thu, 21 Dec 2006 16:24:11 +0000 http://69.89.31.63/~archpund/2006/12/20/private-us-teammercenaries/#comment-7980 very sleezy. Especially since the army pays blackwater something like $1000/day for each mercenary. The merc usually gets around $600 of that. Doing the math, that's $365,000 a year per man, and over $200,000 to the merc. I'm sure some mercs get less, that's the going rate (I think) for ex special forces. Compare that to the average soldiers pay, somewhere around $20k a year, for a low level soldier. Not sure what special forces get, probably in the $60k range if they're experienced. So, spec ops forces don't have an incentive to stay in the army. The incentive is to retire, hook up with Blackwater, and make 10 times what they were making. It's called war profiteering. And, once upon a time, it was illegal. very sleezy. Especially since the army pays blackwater something like $1000/day for each mercenary. The merc usually gets around $600 of that.

Doing the math, that’s $365,000 a year per man, and over $200,000 to the merc.

I’m sure some mercs get less, that’s the going rate (I think) for ex special forces.

Compare that to the average soldiers pay, somewhere around $20k a year, for a low level soldier. Not sure what special forces get, probably in the $60k range if they’re experienced.

So, spec ops forces don’t have an incentive to stay in the army. The incentive is to retire, hook up with Blackwater, and make 10 times what they were making.

It’s called war profiteering. And, once upon a time, it was illegal.

]]> By: vwcat http://archpundit.com/blog/2006/12/20/private-us-teammercenaries/#comment-7979 vwcat Thu, 21 Dec 2006 14:39:08 +0000 http://69.89.31.63/~archpund/2006/12/20/private-us-teammercenaries/#comment-7979 I agree. There is something sleazy about the privatization of an army. Something unseamly about hired guns to fight for the country. creepy. I agree. There is something sleazy about the privatization of an army. Something unseamly about hired guns to fight for the country. creepy.

]]> By: Buck Turgidson http://archpundit.com/blog/2006/12/20/private-us-teammercenaries/#comment-7978 Buck Turgidson Wed, 20 Dec 2006 20:30:30 +0000 http://69.89.31.63/~archpund/2006/12/20/private-us-teammercenaries/#comment-7978 ...aah, but soon you can be a hired thug trained right here in the Land of Lincoln at the Blackwater North facility in Mount Carroll http://www.blackwaterusa.com/press/bwnorth2.asp …aah, but soon you can be a hired thug trained right here in the Land of Lincoln at the Blackwater North facility in Mount Carroll http://www.blackwaterusa.com/press/bwnorth2.asp

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