Advice For Kit.

[AndThatStuff]

Okay, firstly I know there are other threads on this topic but I'm going to attempt not just mirroring other threads so it's not just a useless post.
Secondly, I know there is a fair amount of controversy and politics involved but I would preferably like to keep that part out of the thread. Don't get me wrong I love nothing more than spending hours on end sat researching and watching documentaries (no sarcasm intended), however right now I'm merely after kit advice.
Lastly, I have to apologize for being a pain in the arse for the long eyesore of a post but I feel it necessary to add it all.
With that out of the way, I'll get started.
Okay so I'm looking into setting up a PMC/Contractor/Operative kit, I am fully aware there is a lot of discussion about how each category is different to the other and it's not because I am unaware or ignorant but because I'm not 100% sure of the differences so before setting up a kit would like to attempt to learn the difference.
From what I gather, you have the PMC companies and private security companies who are available for hire to preform duties like body guarding and security.
From what I've heard the best example of this is the US PMC company Blackwater (again please feel free to correct me and tell me that they are different, but please leave the controversy and politics of corruption and unlawful killings for another thread, if possible I would really like to keep this about just kit.)

So firstly if possible I'd like to know the differences between a PMC, an Operative, a Contractor, Mercenaries etc.
Secondly I'd love some suggestions on which would be better to base a kit on. I'm planning on not basing the kit on an actual company, again using the example of Blackwater, and keeping it to personal preferences but would still like some suggestions and ideas.
So far I was thinking either a regular looking civvy operative or a well organised professional looking military hired PMC.
So I was thinking something like,

A baseball cap type hat, preferably over a beanie cap type hat as I have rather long thick hair and would prefer to put it in a ponytail and stick it out the back of a cap than shave it or try and stuff it in a beanie.
A simple pair of shades, I currently have a ballistic pair of Guarder glasses with interchangeable lenses that look the part and are pretty sturdy.
Something for the face like a shemagh or one of those "neck sleves".
Either a plain coloured or simple design T-shirt or a plain T-shirt under a long sleve/jumper.
A black Tac Vest of sorts, or a MOLLE with a few basic pouches for extra ammo and whatnot.
Possibly a tac belt like the Viper Security Belt.
Black Combats not overly fussed on the particulars but would preferably like them in black.
A simple Drop Leg Holster for the sidearm like the Viper Drop Leg.
Some black Knee Pads , possibly built into the combats.
Some black Boots , again not too fussed on specifics would just prefer them to be Black.

Weapon wise, I was thinking,
A Umarex Well MP7 AEP for the primary (which I currently have), with a simple red/green dot, silencer (which I heard PMC's don't use although it's a personal kit and not based off anything so don't believe it's a problem), tac laser and maybe an external battery so I can fit a bigger one as opposed to the tiny AEP battery.
A Pistol, most likely a Glock as I currently have a 17 but was thinking of getting out of Glocks and maybe onto an M1911 or Sig P226.

So I think that's pretty much everything.
Again sorry for the eyesore of the length but felt it necessary.
Any help would be really appreciated.
And again please try and leave the politics and debates and politics out of this one if possible.
Thanks for reading,
Sam. :p

[Snowdrop]

Re: Advice For Kit.

Plenty of ideas on the web, but apart from that, I'd ditch the MP7. Too high end and expensive as a PSC.
You generally get cheap and cheerful AK variants of what ever the client or security company can source. Plus the ammo is readily available and cheap.

Oh and it's called Academi now, formerly Xe, formerly Blackwater

[Red Cuffs]

Re: Advice For Kit.

Do you know what ATS,
I started reading your post about four minutes after it came up.
It wasn't too long, I couldn't sleep anyway.
I kind of brought back a few memories as I thought about the answers to your questions.
And I started writing a reply ... up to three in the morning when ...
my laptop did an update restart thing and I lost the lot.

So a made a cup of tea and started again.
In a word document this time ...
and I'm still writing in that word doc now.

I think I ended up writing more for my sake than anything else.

So now I'm going to have to go through it all and edit out the non relevant bits.
I'll post a reply in an hour or two, maybe with a few pics.
Hope you find it helpful.

[AndThatStuff]

Re: Advice For Kit.

Thanks Snowdrop will bear that in mind, but as I'm thinking of just creating a "generic PMC look" and not basing it on anything, do you think I could still pull it off?

Haha fair enough, I completely understand.
Well I'm glad firstly that it was a readable length and that it brought back memories.
Post as much as you can because I'll end up reading it all anyway, and I'm sure it will all help. I haven't been an Airsofter anywhere near as long as I wish I had been, so most advice is helpful and actually help me make a decision.

But thanks to you both so far, much appreciated.

[Red Cuffs]

Re: Advice For Kit.

[Red Cuffs]

Re: Advice For Kit.

[AndThatStuff]

Re: Advice For Kit.

Thanks for the pics Red, are the women actually PMC types?
No offence intended just they look just like your average housewives dressing up.

Also do you or anyone else have any pics of PMC's/Operatives in black kit?
About 90% of the pics I've seen are of them in mostly Khaki/Tan colours or some form of mostly desert camo.

[Red Cuffs]

Re: Advice For Kit.

Sorry mate, this has all gone wrong
Loads of stuff isn't going into the forum,
but here is my last attempt.

Morning Mate,
Read your post and I think I can help.
I’m new to airsoft and this forum too so if I repeat the words of others I apologise.

Firstly there is no such thing as a “Private Military Company”.
PMC is a term concocted by the media to cause a fuss and sell stories.
There are however “Private Security Companies” PSC’s.

Go to the websites of these PSC’s (Aegis, Blue Hackle, Olive, CRG, Erinys just to name a few British ones) and you will see that none of them refer to themselves as PMC’s.
And the reason is … because they are not military at all. They are not authorised to do everything the military does, in fact they are only authorised to do what a civilian can do to defend themselves.
It’s just that PSC’s are legally armed and highly trained to protect themselves and others.

Military could go out looking for a fight, we HAD TO avoid any trouble. Not too good dragging your principle into a deliberate attack is there? The PSC would lose their contract very quickly.
Military had “Rules of Engagement”, we had the far more limiting “Rules for the Use of Force” that were based on local and international law.
We were however subject to US Military law. So all this “PMC’s can swan about shooting whoever they like” is a load of rubbish. Media making stories again.

Contractor. Exactly as it says in the dictionary. A worker who’s services were contracted by those who require said services.
Our cook was a contractor (although he often got called other things beginning with “C”).
Our Vehicle mechanics were contractors as were our IT guys, Admin, Comms Techs, Interpreters etc.
And so were the operators/operatives (they’re the same thing).

Contractors could be “LN’s”, Local Nationals (Iraqi’s) or FN’s, Foreign Nationals.
There are terms that describe FN’s that were from Coalition countries and those that were not but I can’t remember them right now.

An Operator is trained in Close Protection (CP). He is a “CPO”, Close Protection Operative or Operator. Also known unofficially as a “Shooter or Trigger Man”. My experience is only Iraq/Afghanistan so these terms “shooter/trigger-men” may be specific to Iraq/Afghanistan only.
Other terms are “Client”. The organisation or person that hired the PSC.
“Principle”, the person or persons that you are charged with protecting.
Sometimes the client and the principle could be the same person but I never had that.

A team of operatives was known as a “PSD”. Personal Security Detail/Detachment and they would have their own name or callsign.
Sometimes they could also be known as a “SET”, Security Escort Team.
It could be a coded callsign or include where the team are based.
For example “Oscar 7, SET 8, Ballad 2, Taji 1”.

As for Mercenaries. Whether you are or not depends. You must apply article 47 of the Geneva Convention to what work you are doing. See the link.
http://www.icrc.org/ihl/WebART/470-750057
So according to Art. 47 I could not be legally considered a mercenary because:-
(a) I was not recruited to fight, I was recruited to avoid conflict at all costs.
(b) Guilty. But we never started it !!!
(c) My motivation was purely humanitarian, to help my fellow man and to spread democracy.
(d) Got a British passport so I’m OK there. Those with passports from South Africa, Nepal, South/Central America, Former Soviet States, Philippines. Don’t have a leg to stand on there because there governments have not committed to the conflict.
(e) Guilty
(f) Guilty

You must be guilty of all six clauses to be a merc. And if you are a merc, the Geneva Convention cannot protect you. And that is a very grim position to be in when you’re shackled to a radiator in some back room in a remote Iranian village slowly dying from neglect.
Yes, it happened to four guys while I was over there.

I hope that has cleared up any confusion with regard to the terms used within the industry.


About your kit. You could dress whatever way you like and you’d fit in. there were so many PSC’s while I was there and they all looked different. And each member of each team was likely to be different too.

Your attire would depend on various things.
1- Company policy
2- Profile
3- Task within the team
4- Type of contract

COMPANY POLICY
I worked for one company who’s dress policy included shirt with collar (polo shirts were OK), No thigh rigs allowed, side (Glock 17) had to be on the waistbelt and hidden by a Ghillie Vest (like a fishing vest with pockets big enough for magazines and other kit). Most guys used the 5:11 version.
In some buildings our main (Sig 552) had to be hidden in a bag with any other bulky kit.
Boots, not trainers. And we followed the British Embassy staff around the ministry buildings of Iraq like that. A PSD of two men with a SET of six on call outside.

Me in that ghillie vest next to one of saddams suits of armour.


The next company I worked for had a uniform. Black 5:11 shirt, khaki 5:11 trousers, desert boots and almost everyone rocked a thigh holster for their Sig 226. M4’s with 16” barrels were the main and they had every rail, accessory and sight you could imagine fitted. No two were the same. I had an S-System and an Aimpoint ML2.
Helmets, web gear, vests had to be black unless it was med kit. That was khaki.
Fireproof balaclavas and gloves, ballistic gigs and PASGT lid on every mission !!!
Some guys wore knee and elbow pads if they wanted.



Other firms who did stuff like convoy protection or oilfields for example could end up wearing what they liked.
Really, anything goes. Trainers, cargo trousers from Tesco’s, T-shirt, floppy sun hat or baseball cap and ray-Bans.
Of course a privately owned vest or plate carrier went over that and a helmet floating around somewhere in the vehicle.



In general light materials. Light colours. Tans, greys, blues. Black was avoided because it attracted the heat. I hated having to wear that black kit in that company and I chucked a pair of trainers that my girlfriend bought me because the black sole soaked up the heat from the ground and my feet cooked. A week or so later I noticed one of the LN contractors, a cleaner, had ended up wearing them about his work.



One thing you almost never saw was anything camouflaged. And there was almost always a “Grab Bag” of varying sizes. On that project I used a laptop bag and you can see it’s black strap slung over my shoulder.

PROFILE
There are generally two types of profile although sometimes companies will merge these two slightly which makes things like TTP’s a bit complicated.

Low Profile and High Profile. Each demanded its own TTP’s, (Tactics, Techniques and Procedures).

Low Profile.
Keeping hidden, keeping quiet and blending in. So, dress like a local. T-shirt, LowPro body armour (Like Englands1), maybe a thin tac vest lightly loaded then the whole lot covered by a huge baggy locally bought shirt or a dish-dash. Light Cargo pants from tesco’s, desert boots OR, if you expect to get out of your vehicle, trousers and shoes.
There was once an insurgent group that shot dead anyone wearing desert boots, Arabs just didn’t wear them, they’re that much of a giveaway.

The Urban Arab is generally very clean, tidy and well turned out. The men are very especially well groomed. Short back and sides, clean shaven or designer stubble, a well-trimmed beard maybe and a moustache more often than not.
Shirt and trousers will be pressed and shoes polished.
I’m talking about the people in towns and cities, not farmers or labourers.
Long hair or a shaved head, jeans, unkempt stubble, wrap around shades, baseball cap, desert boots. They will all give you away.
People will see you. You expect that.
But if you’re doing it properly you will not attract a second glance.
And just mingle with the crowd.
Low Profile PSD’s are usually small teams. Sometimes as few as four.

The first Low Pro team I worked with consisted of four Brits in two high powered armoured saloons. An old Mercedes and an equally old BMW.
Two LN scouts would meet us at an RV in a soft skinned 4x4.
Armed only with a hand held radio they would lead the team.
Client went into the BMW.
The rear taken up by the Merc.

Some teams would have a follow on CAT. Counter Attack Team.
Between three and six guys, sometimes LN’s, in a “Bongo Truck” (a bit like a mini-van) or a 4X4 Toyota Hilux (there are loads of them out there) and they would remain a “Tactical Bound” behind the first three cars. They’d have two or three belt-feds, like PKM’s or something.

In the event of an ambush and any of the first three cars becoming immobilised the CAT (aka “The Hate Truck”) would close with and engage the enemy firing points allowing the pinned down elements of the PSD team to “cross-deck” (pile into a non-immobilised vehicle) and break contact.
Any vehicles left behind were burnt out with a thermite grenade, like a red phos.
The whole team would rally at an ERV and treat casualties, re-org, send full reports then get further away.

Vehicle block manoeuvres and warning shots are not routine and are only employed when under a direct threat.

High Profile
Total opposite in appearance.
Absolute “in-your-face” security. The whole teams just screams,

“We’re here,
We’re hard,
We’re bad tempered and nasty,
And we don’t like you !!!
So STAY AWAY !!!”

Usually big teams, the biggest I was on was twelve, but we’d borrow guys from other teams if it was a dodgy tasking.
Big Bulky loadouts on Blackhawk type molle vests with huge SAPI type level 4 plates in.
Ammo agogo !!! Max protection all round. PASGT lids on, or MICH if you could get hold of one. Some guys preferred to wear their old Mk6 lids and a couple of fellas wore their old Para helmet.
ESS ballistic goggles or Oakley M-frames. Nomex over your hands and face.

Usually uniforms, 5:11 stuff like my crew but quite often khaki fire retardant overalls.
On my last month in the business we could wear what we wanted but I got some khaki British Army AFV crew overalls ‘cos I thought they were fire retardant. Someone a while after I left the business told me that they’re not.
Big armoured vehicles. Like a minimum of a GMC Suburban or a Ford 550. They’d have firing port out of each side with an M4 poking out and a M249 or M240B or PKM poking out of the back manned by the “Trunk Monkey”. Strobe lights, sirens and bullhorns, Hi-Vis marker panels, laser pointers, flare guns and a huge sign reading in English and Arabic
“STAY AWAY 100 METRES OR YOU MAY BE SHOT”.

This is due to the new phenomenon of suicide bombers in cars who would ram your convoy and detonate several hundred pounds of instant sunshine.
Despite this common occurrence and all the warning methods some Iraqi’s would still feel the urge to accelerate rapidly up to the rear vehicle and a wide eyed Trunk Monkey.
Trunk Monkey would soil his pants and shoot at the engine block of the offending car. Not necessarily in that order.

Whether the driver would escape unscathed, wounded or not escape at all would usually be a matter of chance. But I’ll tell you from experience, they are very scary moments

Often there would be some even larger armoured vehicles. Olive security used old British Saxons. There would be Mambas and Reva’s.

http://www.revaarmoredvehicles.com/Manufacturing.html

We used a type that we called a “Werewolf”. I don’t know much more about them. South African design, made in Namibia.
One features in the gorrillaz “dirty Harry video.
Except ours had two turrets, one front, one rear with a belt fed in each. The rear turret gunner of the rear vehicle would do the Trunk Monkey job.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3gU...ture=endscreen

We loved those werewolves. 6 litre, 6 cylinder, turbo-diesel, 4X4 with run-flats and a top road speed of 130kph.
15mm steel armour, “V” shaped hull with 40mm armoured glass and a ground clearance of … lots !!!
Like you could drive over a row of primary school kids and they’d be OK.



Not indestructible though. In my time on that contract we lost two of them. One to a roadside bomb and another to an RPG. Both ended getting burnt out where they got hit.
Serious stuff at $500,000 each. But much more serious for the casualties we sustained.



Three survivors from that hit revisit the old girl after she was recovored. Very lucky. The driver actually got away totally unscathed.



TTP’s differed accordingly. Driving is very aggressive. Pushing cars out of the way is common. Using lead and tail vehicles to block flow of traffic so that PPO vehicle progress is not impeded.
Generally, when under fire, you’d fight from the vehicle and drive out of any trouble.
Immobilised vehicles were shunted out of the killing zone.

If Shunt out was not possible all weapons would deliver a generous volume of lead to any firing points.
Thermite red phos produced a smoke screen and personnel, whatever their condition, were cross decked.
That done, one more thermite into the busted wagon and get out of the killing zone quick.

Come to think of it, another difference of TTP’s between High and Low Profile is that High Pro, you fight from within the vehicles whenever you can.
Low Pro you de-bus, take fire positions outside the vehicle (bagsy behind the engine block) and fight from there until you extract and break contact. Probably because Low Profile vehicles don’t have firing ports and there’s not much room inside a saloon to move about.

There’s loads of other small differences in TTP’s and also between PSC’s.

TASKS WITHIN THE TEAM
What you wear in the way of equipment will depend on you job in the team.
There are quite a few tasks so in small teams all guys will have to double, triple or quadruple hat.

Team Leader (TL)
Leads the team. Calls the shots.

Deputy Team Leader
Ensures the TL’s instructions are followed.

CAT Leader
Organises CAT Team. Leads a counter attack when required.

CAT Gunner/Gun Controller
Executes counter attack. Supress enemy firing points to enable minimum risk for casualty extraction.

Principle Protection Officer (PPO)
Controls the movement of the Principle, is never more than an arms length away from the principle.

Main Set Radio Operator
Maintains comms with the Operations Room. Updates team progress and physical location.

Navigator
Ensures the team is going the right way at the right time.
Constant reappraisal of primary route.
Maintains a secondary and tertiary route for use in emergencies.
Considers location of friendly forces, refuelling points, basic and advanced medical facilities.
Marks intelligence updates on mapping.

Scout
Visually clears the route of advance.
In a scout vehicle one tactical bound in front of the main package of vehicles.

Spotter
Visually clears the route of progress from the lead vehicle.

Scout and Spotter
Will deliver a constant commentary over the radio detailing geographical and terrain features
and possible or actual threats.

Driver
Drives. Looks for and avoids possible or actual threats.
Maintains vehicles.

Shooter
Engages legitimate targets and threats within the “Rules for the Use of Force”.
Warns team of possible or actual threats.

Medic
Acts as a shooter/spotter until someone needs a medic.
Coordinates clinical element of casualty extraction (tactical element is TL’s call).
Stabilises casualties.
Maintains Individual and Vehicle Med Kits.



As you can see, even for a big team there’s a lot for each man to do and his loadout will reflect the tasks he’s responsible for.
Shooters will have loads of ammo to hand on their rig.
Drivers may have less on their rig to enable ease of driving but will have a pistol very close to hand.
You can probably figure out who in the team MUST have a GPS, spot-maps, telescope/bino’s, task itinerary.
Also all had a hand held radio with earpiece. Maybe their own escape Map and GPS.

There are other items that would be on the loadout, for example all my guys carried their own med kit.
An Oro-Pharyngeal airway of their own size, two CAT tourniquets, two Israeli field dressings, tuff-cut med shears, chemical haemostats such as “Quickclot” or ”Hemcon”.
I of course, as the team medic, carried more med kit on my belt and in my grab bag.

Now there are a few things that may not spring to mind if you want to replicate the true representation of a “CPO”, Close Protection Officer/Operative in Iraq/Afghanistan.

A wallet with a clear panel for all your ID cards (and you can be issued a lot of ID cards), passport, driving licence, SIA CP licence, About two hundred US dollars in small denominations ($1,$2 and $5 dollar bills, yes, there are $2 bills), escape map, a couple of single edge razor blades and/or small penknife, Local sim card in a cheap mobile phone with a list of important phone numbers i.e. your ops room, British and US embassies, UN, Red Cross, a few other relevant numbers.



To be legitimately working in Iraq you had to constantly in possession of a “Letter of Invitation” from the Iraqi “Ministry of the Interior” and a copy of your contract I think. I’d have forgotten about these but I just found mine in a clear out the other day.

Some also carried a few “Fixed Format Reports”. Look up “Contact Report”, or “CasRep” but the main one was the “NATO 9-line” because it was harder to remember off the top of your head.

I’d also carry a memory stick.
On this memory stick would be scans of my passport, driving licence, birth certificate plus other e-documents that would be quite important if I had to prove to the British embassy that I am who I say I am.

That wallet was always on my person unless I was sleeping or in the shower.
(Don’t dwell on that image).

It seems like overkill now but I was utterly terrified of being kidnapped and having to go on the run.
Kidnapping was, and still is, a very real threat. It happened to a mate of mine. Luckily they were set free by a passing Danish MP patrol before the kidnappers could drag them away (into Iran I have no doubt).
This mate of mine wriggled free and jumped in front the passing Danish armoured car and it nearly killed him ‘cos it only just stopped in time.

Your Grab-Bag is what you grab as you bale out of a burning vehicle, or a vehicle that’s immobilised and being riddled with enemy fire. As well as your rifle, casualties or the Principle. It could be a small laptop bag or tiny rucksack and is like a theatre specific survival kit.
It would contain things like:-
Spare ammo, Water, Extra medical kit,
Spot map and GPS if not already on you
Spare batteries for radio, sights, GPS, Phone, etc.
Smoke, Phos or frag grenades if you can get hold of them.

TYPE OF CONTRACT
You are torn between two images.
You said …
“either a regular looking civvy operative or a well organised professional looking military hired PMC”.
Let me tell you that they are the same person. The only difference is how much money the client is paying the PSC for the product.
And the product is their security plan.

You mention Blackwater. They are one company but they have many clients.
Each client’s security plan is a project.
So Blackwater has the US State Department as one of their clients. They have loads of cash to give Blackwater and so Blackwater can afford a fleet of the top of the range HUMVEE’s and a squadron of helicopters.
Those teams on that project appear to be what you and many others call a PMC look.
Just like me when I was cutting about in those Werewolves. The client was the US Army who could afford a quality product. A quality security plan. We looked like a PMC.

Blackwater has other clients, one of them was an NGO that ran on charitable donations.
They couldn’t afford to pay for state of the art armoured vehicles and aircraft so Blackwater provide a cheaper product. Everything is cheaper Old vehicles, no uniforms for security staff, lower standard comms systems, even old Iraqi AKM’s instead of brand new M4’s.

Just like me when I worked with the Low Profile PSD. Clapped out vehicles from the 1970’s, rubbish food, clapped out AK’s, ropey accommodation. Because the Client was a construction company that did not want a massive outlay on security because it would cut into their profits.
Low Profile PSD’s may be considered safer by some and not others but one thing is for sure, they are much cheaper to run.

So what you see as “a regular looking civvy operative” is just a CPO on a cheap project. They’ll typically be the profit making organisations like construction, transport and haulage, IT, engineering, etc.
What you see as a” well organised professional looking military hired PMC” are the same type of guys, from the same military background with the same CP training. They’ve just landed a job on a high budget project. They get the snazzy comms gear, sharp suits, flashy vehicles, Gucci weapons. Because their client is usually funded by a government. A rich one.

When my client was the “Foreign and Commonwealth Office”, “The UN” or “US Army Corps of Engineers” I cut about with Glocks, Sigs, Benellis and Colts.
When my client was an oil engineering or construction company I cut about with battered looking east European or Iraqi weapons.

All my kit is boxed up in the garage, unused. I don’t really know what to do with it.
Then the girlfriend and her mates get drunk, fish it all out and play “dress-up in the garden.



Sorry it’s such a long winded reply.
But they say it’s good to talk …
Like I said earlier, I think I’ve written this more for my sake than anything else.

[BAMF]

Re: Advice For Kit.

Very informative Red Cuffs. Thanks very much.

With you speaking of being chained to a radiator, just sprung to mind that I was talking to Terry Waite on Friday of last week and a couple of colleagues wanted to crack a few jokes to him about his ordeal. We never, obviously, as we're way more professional than that.

He's a big unit though. About 6' 7" and 20-odd stone. So it must have been secured to the wall quite well?

[AndThatStuff]

Re: Advice For Kit.

Wow, have to start off by saying that I was going to like and say thank you for the post but it only let me do one, so first thank you.
That has to be the single most detailed reply I've seen.
The descriptions of the different terms were great and I understand the differences completely.
Everything is brilliant so thanks again.
Just have a couple of questions that I hope you can help with.
First off I'm sorry for being that really slow guy that didn't pick up the obvious, but I'm guessing you've actually worked as an operator for a PSC?
I understand now that the look of the group or company is dependent on the client's budget or personal preferences, but I don't fully understand why. I don't understand why the company doesn't own their own equipment.
By that I mean, let's say hypothetically there's a made up PSC company called "Blackhawk", and they've been hired by a generic company looking for hire-able armed security. Why wouldn't the Blackhawk company already own guns and kit either belonging to the company or privately owned by those working for "Blackhawk"?
For example Police forces who mostly have firearms owned by the Police force used for the job, and some who use their personally owned kit, why wouldn't a private security firm do the same?
Thanks for the help, is much appreciated.

[Hawke]

Re: Advice For Kit.

Thanks for the pics Red, are the women actually PMC types?
No offence intended just they look just like your average housewives dressing up.

They don't look like any average housewife round my part of Cornwall. For a start, they've got the normal amount of fingers, and are attractive.

RedCuffs. Thank you for the most informative, articulate and well written post I have seen on this or any other forum. Very well written indeed, it deserves a far larger audience.

[CallsignSam]

Re: Advice For Kit.

Thank you RedCuffs I think that is the first time i have ever read anything about PSC/Contractors etc in the ******* ***** that isn't something alon the lines of"They can where and use what they like end of story".

[Proto]

Re: Advice For Kit.

Can we get this stickied? That post gives a huge wealth of useful information and should be able to answer most, if not all, questions people have regarding PMC/PSC/Mercs, thanks a lot Red Cuffs, your contribution is extremely helpful

Although I do wonder why you blot out your face when your photo ID is clear on your chest in the first pic...

[Red Cuffs]

Re: Advice For Kit.

WOW … thanks everyone … I’m glad you found it helpful. Stand by for another epic post …
‘Cos it’s Friday night and I’ve had too much gin !!!

To answer/address a few points.
Yes BAMF, for those of us old enough to remember when it was in the news at least once a week for … how many years?
The idea of living a fate like Terry Waite gave a lot of us great concern. And there was very little anyone could do to help you.

By the time I got out there many hostages had been beheaded on video.
I think it’s right to say that if you were captured by Al Queada you weren’t going to live long.
They’re a wealthy organisation and don’t need any ransom money. Saudi’s sees to that.
What they need is publicity.
And to please their creditors/financiers.
So you become a One-Hit-Wonder film star but never get the groupies.

Shia groups however were not as wealthy and needed money.
So you’d stand a good chance of being bargained for.
Might take a bit of time though and it doesn’t work for everyone.
I think that’s the case but if anyone knows better please chip in.

How Mr. waite managed to survive that ordeal mentally … I have no idea.
He’s clearly not just big unit physically but mentally as well.

ATS, yes, I’ve worked for a few.
When the reconstruction contracts started coming in hard and fast these “Reconstructors” quickly realised that they were in a dangerous place surrounded by people who wanted to kill them/take them hostage/rob them. It didn’t take long before the security contracts started coming in hard and fast.
Like a tidal wave !!!

There just wasn’t enough kit to go around. I’ve met guys who were out there early on, like ’03, who were sent out on detail unarmed, without body armour and in soft skinned vehicles. Absolutely unthinkable now but if the company didn’t give the client a security consultant they would lose the contract or be in breach of contract.

And there is a point to note. Military is service. All your assets are valued and precious.
Private security is a business. All your assets have a commercial value and some are considered expendable. It can be argued that their greatest concern isn’t to “keep everyone alive”, it’s not “complete missions and tasks”, it is to simply “keep the contract”.
If you must make sacrifices to be awarded and to keep the contract, so be it.

A lot of these PSC’s were new. Like been in existence for just a matter of weeks or months.
Just thrown together by some ex-military who saw the opportunity to make serious cash.
They had very little considering what was needed to operate there.

Weapons. The European and American industries were not ready to supply the demand. The US has some brutal export laws for firearms. So where do you go?

To some Iraqi guy who has also seen the opportunity to make a bit of cash. Hence the clapped out AKM’s and PKM@s that had just been collected from the place in the desert where Saddam’s army had recently dropped them.

The weapons on a high budget contract.


All from first world manufacturers.
And vehicle convoys that look like this




The weapons on a low budget contract


East Eropean version of a Galil or S. African R4. A Yugoslav M21.
The pistol is a CZ99. A Yugoslav copy of the Sig 226.
Luxo was South African (couldn’t understand English), The helmet and vest scrounged from UK Mil, T-Shirt from a surplus store, trousers from tesco’s, boots and pouches from ebay, holster and stuff from LA Police Gear, gloves nicked. ACOG bought from a guy who was jacking the business in.

But it’s not just weapons, there’s the ammo, servicing and spares.
And it goes for all the other things you need to run a project.
Communications. Personal, Vehicle fit, Base Station. VHF, HF, Satelite. A Comms tech to make it all work.
Armoured Vehicles. There just weren’t stockpiles of them ready to be bought in that volume. So the Low Pro’s would put the principle in the armoured vehicle and any others were simply locally acquired soft-skins.
Some of you may have seen this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-fjrRB7WPQ

If you make comments about that hit be careful and sensitive.
Think first. This is an open forum.
I didn’t know these guys but I was in-country when it happened.
I won’t ever know three of them because they were killed.

A three vehicle PSD and I think a team of about seven? But only one vehicle was armoured.
And that was around May/June ’05.

The Hi Pro’s would simply resort to making their own armoured cars. I’m sure most of you will have seen photo’s of the gun trucks. Like a normal civilian pickup truck with plates of mild steel cut to shape and bolted on. Trunk Monkey in the back with a pintle mounted PKM.
Really exposed. Phark that for a game of soldiers.

Some got lucky and found Ex-RUC armoured Ford Sierra’s from Northern Ireland.
Others found ex military kit, Fuchs, Saxon, Panhard and loads of South African Stuff.

Supply and demand … Demand makes the prices go up. For everything.
Life support. Accommodation and Catering for your client and staff. Pre-Fab accommodation tripled in price.
Food and water, chefs, kitchen equipment on a “large restaurant scale”. Including gas supply, freezer containers.
And the food/water suppliers. Put something nasty in that and you’ve caused more damage than any IED. Some of the people over there would put a dog turd into a pitta bread and charge you “Fortnum and Mason” prices so long as they could convince you it was a kebab.

On my first contract we were eating two US Army MRE packs a day.
And that was just lucky ‘cos we were on a US Army contract and managed to scrounge a thousand to see us by until our catering got sorted.
There was a US Army D-Fac (dining facility) on site but because it was a budget contract we weren’t allowed to use it as the PSC had to pay for that privilege. It was bloody expensive too, so it just turned out cheaper for the PSC to make it’s own catering arrangements.

Toilet sanitation, washing facilities, laundry, air-con, Electricity, generators, fuel.
Electricians, mechanics, plumbers, builders, truck drivers, … just to make it all work.

And the thing many didn’t count on.
Bribes.
To work in Iraq you must have permission from the Iraqi MOI, ministry of the Interior. Bit like our home office.
If you were going to occupy a small bit of land with your base you have to know who it belongs to.
It’ll be part of a sheikdom and will have been for dozens of generations.
They all need paying off. Call it rent, call it bribery, call it essential expenditure. If you didn’t pay it your risk factor just doubled ‘cos you’ve just pissed off the locals.

And they all know how much money is involved, and they want as much of that contract cash as they can get. If you bin the contract … fine. Someone else will come along and do it … eventually.
And that’s what I think happened to Blackwater.
I Think …


Slowly stuff started coming in but the best stuff went to the high earning contracts.
Because the client had supplied the cash to pay for them at the new inflated prices.
For example in ’05 I tried to source ammo.
A 7.62x39 was costing $1.00 per round.
A 9x19 was costing $1.50.
Funnily enough my source, an Iraqi guy could get grenades (both defensive and offensive) for just one dollar. He was from Sadr City and there were kids selling them in the street shouting “Solve all your problems for just one dollar !!!”

Supply and demand affecting market prices. Be it white, grey or black market.

And that’s why so many guys bought, borrowed, stole their own kit.
Because they were on “Budget Contracts”.
For example, I wasn’t issued a helmet until November ’06.
Good job I still had my old Mk6.
Used to carry it around like a handbag with a few bottles of water inside.

I’m on a rolling ramble here aren’t I ???
Gin does wonders for the “Literary” parts of the brain.
My Liver is knackered though.

I’ve just realised that I could have answered this in a far better way.
To summarise.
There was not enough kit to meet the sudden demand.
Budget contracts got a “budget security deal”.
Blank Cheque contracts got a “blank cheque deal”.

I hope that makes sense.

As for wearing black rig.
I can’t remember too many operators who did.
But I look back on a few photo’s on google et al, and I see quite a few.
Not loads, but a few with dark tops and black vests.

It could be that black was all that was available at the time.
I’ve been there myself in as late as ’08, all I had was an old, black Blackhawk vest. And I suffered as a result because it really soaked up the sun. Especially after 12 hours in the desert.
I borrowed a tan rig as soon as I could.
Yes, some guys wore black for whatever reason, but I don’t think black was ever a “go-to” colour.

Someone told me that the reason why my PSC chose khaki trousers and a really dark navy blue shirt was to look a bit like these guys.



Teddy Roosevelt’s “Rough Riders” around 1898.
Got to be one of the most celebrated historical US Army units. And a tough, resolute and well lead bunch of guys.
And basically because most of the clients were American it was thought that would dig into the American psyche and provide confidence and help get contracts.
Or maybe it was all that 5:11 could provide at the time …
Who knows.

This is us.



I think Roosevelt had a better idea re transport. A horse never blew its turbo out in the middle of Al Queada country !!! And its had fuel growing all around !!!
Not too good at stopping bullets though.
I was in the front turret for that mission, notice the short barrelled M249 with Eotech sight, 8 M4 mags on my chest, belt kit was all med kit and side arm.

The client has a lot of say in how it’s security appear. They may not wish to appear aggressive and so ask for a “quiet look”. They may wish to appear strong and so ask for a “loud” look.

They’re paying for the product so they should get the product that they want.

Either way the security represents and reflects upon the client. In the same way as a Nightclub doorman represents the club manager and owner.
Hence he is highly visible, smart, polite (to a point) and thorough.

Hawke … thank you.
I shall gladly inform the ladies in my life that they have the regulation quantity of digits.
I’m sure they’ll be very pleased and reassured to know that.
One of them is still single … by the way !!!

C/S Sam.
Thank you, I actually thought I’d be repeating a lot of stuff.
Now I don’t profess to know it all and if there are any who have differing opinions.
And I’m sure they’re as valid as mine.
Because we all have varied and differing experiences.

Proto, Thank you, a stickied post? I am honoured.
We must thank ATS for bringing the subject up though.
I could ramble on for hours expressing my opinions and experiences.
You’ve probably guessed that I can ramble on a bit.

Well spotted by the way. There are a few other “errors” in those pics, can you spot them?
Or are they all part of a cunning deception plan ???

[AndThatStuff]

Re: Advice For Kit.

Wow thank you again, another detailed brilliant post.
Please feel free to ramble on as much as you want/can, not only is this helping me get a clearer understanding and mentally put together an image, but it's really interesting to read.
If there's any way for me to get this stickied let me know and I'll do whatever I can, I'd love for everyone to be able to find this post to either help them put together a kit or just to read.
The pictures as well are fantastic.
I don't really know what else to say, but again post as much as you feel like because I'll read any and all.