Beyond Civil—Military Relations: Reflections on Civilian Control of a Private, Multinational Workforce

Abstract

This article applies the problem of civilian control over the military to the realm of private military contractors. The author argues that military outsourcing strips the principal —agent relationship of many of the structures and dynamics that states have traditionally used to control militaries. Many of the same qualities that make private military corporations successful as both economic actors and political surrogates also lead to reductions in the possibility for effective civilian control. The author supports these claims through an examination of the multilevel, fragmented, and global nature of the private military corporation market, with particular attention to divisions within the labor force. The implications of this analysis are that using private military corporations raises persistent challenges and tensions for effective state control that cannot be easily regulated away.

Private security and military contractors: A troubling oversight

“…McFate () illustrated the dominant role of DynCorps International in the buildup of Liberia's armed forces. McCoy () emphasized the reductions in the possibility for effective civilian control of outsourced militaries. Avant and De Nevers () warned against the possibility of PMSCs used to pursue agendas that do not have the support of American, international, or local publics.…”

The private military industry and neoliberal imperialism: Mapping the terrain

“…Such large and powerful corporations have likewise been able to appoint Boards of Directors that seem uniquely suited to securing government contracts. (Armstrong, 2008;McCoy, 2010). Under Cheney's leadership, KBR were able to secure more than $2.3 billion in government contracts, double what they earned in the previous five years.…”

“…The increasing use of the PSI, the relative freedom under which the industry operates, (Armstrong, 2008;McCoy, 2010).…”

The legitimacy of the military, private military and security companies, and just war theory

“…This is largely because private contractors are recruited from databases and do not spend time training together, which harms the cohesion and the preparedness of PMSC operations. 25 More generally, the use of PMSCs reinforces a narrow, technical (and largely mistaken) view of protection and war fighting as being simply a question of military and security efficacy, 26 thereby ignoring other key -often political -factors that are crucial to fighting a just war and to deterring aggressors successfully. Moreover, any (alleged) efficiency savings from the hiring of PMSCs are likely, at least in part, to result from cuts to areas that are important for the legitimacy of military force.…”