Topic: U.S. Not Managing War Contractors Well

Washington Post
December 20, 2006
Pg. 4


The Pentagon is still struggling to get a handle on the unprecedented number of contractors now helping to run the nation's wars, losing millions of dollars because it is unable to monitor industry workers stationed in far-flung locations, according to a congressional report.
The investigation by the Government Accountability Office, which released the report yesterday, found that the Defense Department's inability to manage contractors effectively has hurt military operations and unit morale and cost the Pentagon money.
According to the report, 60,000 contractors are supporting the Army in Southwest Asia, a region that includes Iraq. That figure is compared with the 9,200 contractors used to support the military in the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
In response to the report, the Pentagon said it agreed with the GAO's findings that the military implement a database of contractors and appoint a senior-level office dedicated to improving contractor management.