Contractors on the Battlefield, Force Multipliers or Force Dividers?

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The incorporation of commercial business practices into the military environment introduces new challenges to the acquisition and sustainment of DoD weapon systems. An increased reliance on contractor support has helped ease the burden on a heavily reduced force structure, but has left military commanders vulnerable to declaring a non-mission capable status during times of crisis. In today's strategic environment, the role of the U.S. military has changed from a stand-alone Cold War superpower to a multinational coalition partner. Much of the force structure is involved in joint military operations other than war (MOOTW) all over the world. This sheds new light on the use of contractors, as they may be called upon to support military missions and be subjected to battlefield conditions during these "non-war" operations. This research examines the legal, regulatory, and policy procedures regarding the use of contractor support on the battlefield and discusses how the incorporation of civilian personnel violates the principles of war. It also describes the challenges facing personnel responsible for developing acquisition strategies and employment concepts that ensure full mission support of DoD weapon systems. Finally, recommendations to help address the issues and mitigate the risks associated with using contractors on the battlefield are discussed.