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More War Profiteering, KBR-style
Believe it or not, 12 soldiers have died in Iraq by electrocution from their own faulty equipment. Like showers and power washers for vehicles. Twelve. Unless they all died on one day, something's rotten in Denmark, that is, if that's where our old pals Kellogg, Brown and Root are headquartered.
Twenty-four year old Green Beret Staff Sergeant Ryan Maseth died a protractedly painful and ignominous death not "fighting for our freedom" in the streets of Baghdad but in his own shower. CNN:
Army documents obtained by CNN show that U.S.-paid contractor Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR) inspected the building and found serious electrical problems a full 11 months before Maseth was electrocuted.
KBR noted "several safety issues concerning the improper grounding of electrical devices." But KBR's contract did not cover "fixing potential hazards." It covered repairing items only after they broke down.
For 'broke down' read: killed a soldier.
Only after Maseth died did the Army issue an emergency order for KBR to finally fix the electrical problems, and that order was carried out soon thereafter.
And—aside from the human cost—how much 'extra' did fixing their own shoddy, murderous work cost us taxpayers, one wonders?
In an internal e-mail obtained by CNN, a Navy captain admits that the Army should have known "the extent of the severity of the electrical problems." The e-mail then says the reason the Army did not know was because KBR's inspections were never reviewed by a "qualified government employee."
How's that for a sweetheart deal?
Sadly, the military first gave the latest victim's family not just the run around but a heinous slap in the face as well as an insult to the intelligence of anyone older than 10—according to his mother, "the Army told her he had a small appliance with him in the shower". Please. As early as 2004, the service had issued a memo saying that, after five deaths that year alone, "electrocution was "growing at an alarming rate.""
Eight years—and seven dead GIs later—KBR is still raking it in while an exhausted grunt who just survived a firefight has to send out a recon team before indulging in one of life's few pleasures in a desert war. Too bad the Prez 'gave up' golf since he was surely doing so with KBR execs frequently. Maybe he could ask them, oh so politely, to stop killing our soldiers.
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KBR is corporate mercenaries who are there for the high dollars of war, not to protect U.S. soldiers. Our propagandistic military leaders really don't care.
I am really sorry the U.S. has privatized the military to the point where corporate mercenaries are relied upon for our public soldiers protection.
Since the military has been privatized, I can understand why young men wouldn't want to join the U.S. military when their reward is so little, and receive even less care about what happens to them; while young men and women who join the corporate mercenaries get paid an overwhelming amount for risking their lives and aren't expected to be nearly as responsible.
Since the United States runs the military for corporations, instead of the public at large; then no young man or woman should join any of the U.S. military branches, but serve their corporate country in the private mercenary army like the leaders espouse as support for the military.
Hopefully, after the election the country will have elected leaders who are wise enough to know that corporate mercenary leaders should not be running the military or the government and put a stop to the mercenaries in the publics U.S. government military and the U.S. government at large.
MarthaA makes a good point - at this rate, we might as well dissolve the U.S. military & privatize our "defense" entirely.
As a side note, does anyone actually believe that Maseth was electrocuted...in the shower?
Support our troops ... where a flag pin!
Support our troops ... more no-bid contracts for KBR!
Support our troops ... he wasn't drafted, he volunteered!
Support our troops ... we can't dissolve the military; where else would future mercenaries get trained?
Congress should be ashamed! I wish! However, Congress is not ashamed and We The People are letting them get away with "killing" our own troops. We continue to elect "paid-in-full" politicians like Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint from South Carolina and many others! John McCain doesn't care and supports continued wars with continued support from Blackwater, KBR etc. but no increase in benefits to the troops and no more body armor. It's sickening and I hold these men and women in Congress with great contempt and rest assured I will vote them out!
It was Saddam's electricians that wired the building in question. Thanks to being beat up by the news media and the political interest in the US, we, KBR are not allowed to just fix things we see that are wrong anymore. We have to do eveything like big business is done in the US. Someone in charge is forgetting we are in a war zone. It's not like the early days of LOGCAP contracting. We have to do exactly what the USG allows us to do by contract. Nothing more. The author of this news story is soooo out of line and has no idea what he's talking about, but it makes good press. Like my grandfather says, WE USE TO REPORT THE NEWS, NOW WE SELL IT. All I can say is" Come to Iraq and see for you're self". We eat and breath helping our troops. At a min. of a 84 hour work week....and we are proud to do it. And I'm sure that 90% of the troops are saying, thank God for the people at KBR and other contractors here helping us.
I was a KBR electrician in Iraq. I don't necessarily agree with all of 37Tartan's comment. I too have blogged about this. It's very sad because it was very avoidable.
I am looking for other KBR electricians that are willing to give their opinions and insights as to what it was like in Iraq in order to assist in an investigation. They can contact me at mssparky@mssparky.com
I testified at this hearing. For the most part, the media did a great job of covering it but so much great testimony was not published. These deaths are tragic and I am committed to help find the truth.
I have published the testimony of each witness on my website at:
www.mssparky.com
Forget the rumors. Please take the time to read the testimony and know the truth. Read the comments of other former and current KBR employees and concerned citizens. Leave a comment of your own.
Thank You
Debbie Crawford
(aka Ms Sparky)