Two defense contractors went on a podcast and everything they said was true. In this episode, discover the shocking extent to which our government has privatized wartime operations.

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Sound Clip Sources

• Ari Shaffir’s Skeptic Tank Episode #257 “Money for Nothing”, March 19, 2016.

• Hearing: Wartime Contracting, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, September 21, 2011.

• Hearing: Wartime Contracting, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Financial and Contracting Oversight, July 16, 2013.

Additional Reading

• Article: Northrop Grumman moving Counter-Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar (C-RAM) capabilities to brigade combat teams by John Keller, Military and Aerospace Electronics, March 9, 2016.

• Congressional Research Service Report: Egypt: Background and U.S. Relations by Jeremy M. Sharp, Congressional Research Service, February 25, 2016.

  • Special Military Assistance Benefits for Egypt

• Investor Report: Northrop Grumman 2015 Annual Investor Report, February 1, 2016.

• Bill Text: Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2016 December 15, 2015.

  • Foreign Military Financing Program

• Congressional Research Service Report: Department of Defense Contractor and Troop Levels in Iraq and Afghanistan: 2007-2015 by Heidi M. Peters, Moshe Schwartz, and Lawrence Kapp, Congressional Research Service, December 1, 2015.

  • Data on Contractors released starting September 2007

• Article: Meet the impressive guns protecting U.S. bases from rocket attacks in Afghanistan by Dan Lamothe, The Washington Post, October 21, 2015.

• Article: Dark cloud of legal trouble begins to lift away from Louis Berger byPete Troilo, Jeff Tyson, Devex, August 31, 2015.

• Article: Pine Gap’s new spy role revealed by Philip Dorling, The Sydney Morning Herald, May 31, 2015.

• Nautilus Institute Report: Expanded Communications Satellite Surveillance and Intelligence Activities Utilising Multi-beam Antenna Systems by Desmond Ball, Duncan Campbell, Bill Robinson and Richard Tanter, May 28, 2015.

• Article: Satellite photos of Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan, before and after U.S. withdrawal by Dan Lamothe, The Washington Post, May 20, 2015.

• Article: Blog: Northrop to Continue Developing C-RAM Command and Control System, Signal AFCEA, April 7, 2015.

• Defense Contract Audit Agency Report: Report to Congress on FY 2014 Activities Department of Defense, Defense Contract Audit Agency, March 25, 2015.

• Article: “Disturbing” Waste In Afghanistan: How The U.S. Trashed Troops’ Health And Squandered Millions by Neal Ungerleider, Fast Company, February 18, 2015.

• Article Getting Out Of Afghanistan by E.B. Boyd, Fast Company, January 28, 2015.

• Article: Northrop Grumman Awarded C-RAM Contract – DoD Daily Contracts by Lindy Kyzer, Clearancejobs.com, August 15, 2013.

• Article: Australian outback station at forefront of US spying arsenal by Philip Dorling, The Age, July 26, 2013.

• Congressional Research Service Report: Department of Defense’s Use of Contractors to Support Military Operations: Background, Analysis, and Issues for Congress by Moshe Schwartz and Jennifer Church, Congressional Research Service, May 17, 2013.

• Government Accountability Office Report: Additional Steps Needed to Help Determine the Right Size and Composition of DOD’s Total Workforce, May 2013.

• Article: Sen. Claire McCaskill leaps hurdles to overhauling wartime contracting by Lindsay Wise, McClatchy Newspapers, January 19, 2013.

• Bill Text: Contracting Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, December 28, 2012.

• Article: The 25 Biggest Defense Companies In America by Eloise Lee and Robert Johnson, Buisness Insider, March 13, 2012.

• Article: Northrop Grumman receives counter-rocket, artillery and mortar contract from U.S. Army by Skyler Frink, Military and Aerospace Electronics, February 1, 2012.

• Article: Northrop Grumman (NOC) Gets $124M Contract for C-RAM Systems, StreetInsider.com, October 31, 2011.

• Commission on Wartime Contracting Report, August 2011.

• Congressional Research Service Report: Department of Defense Contractors in Afghanistan and Iraq: Background and Analysis by Moshe Schwartz and Joyprada Swain, Congressional Research Service, May 13, 2011.

  • List of Congressional Hearings
  • Type of Work Performed by Contractors

• Article: U.S. Supersizes Afghan Mega-Base as Withdrawal Date Looms by Spencer Ackerman, Wired, August 9, 2010.

• Article: Halliburton, KBR, and Iraq war contracting: A history so far by Angie Drobnic Holan, Politifact, June 9, 2010.

• News Release: U.S. Army Awards Northrop Grumman Major C-RAM Systems Integration Delivery Order by Sudi Bruni, Northrop Grumman Corporation, November 10, 2009.

Additional Information

• Webpage: Northrop Grumman 2014 Election Cycle Lobbying and Campaign Contributions, March 9, 2015.

• Indeed.com Job Openings:

  • Cable Installer and Technician for U.S. Base In Afghanistan
  • Protective Security Specialist, AEGIS LLC
  • Inventory / Warehouse Assistant Manager, Pacific Architects and Engineers, Inc.

• Webpage: USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives April 15, 2016.

  • USAID Budget Report Fiscal Year 2017 March 16, 2016.

• Webpage: Senate Homeland Security Commitee

  • Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations

• Wikipedia: Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar (C-RAM)

Podcast Interviews Featuring Jennifer Briney:

• Liberty on Point with Tony Bottoms, April 20, 2016.

• Crush The Street, April 14, 2016.

Music Presented in This Episode

• Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

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Jennifer Briney Podcaster

Jennifer Briney started paying attention to world events while studying in Germany in the spring of 2003 when the United States overthrew the government of Iraq. After experiencing the war from outside the United States, she started asking questions about her government. Every answer led to fifty more questions. This led to a thirst for information that she is still unable to quench.

Over the years, the feeling like she was the only person paying attention to this information was making Jen insane so in late 2012, she launched Congressional Dish in order to share the information, to have an emotional outlet for dealing with the discoveries, and to create a community of people who were interested in Congress’s effect on our lives. Congressional Dish is now her full-time career, thanks entirely to the support from our growing community of producers from all over the world.