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The Corporate War Dead: New Perspectives on the Demographics of American and British Contractors

Mon, August 13, 2:30 to 4:10pm, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Floor: Level 4, 413

Abstract

From an obscure sector synonymous with mercenaryism, the private military and security industry has grown to become a significant complementing instrument in military operations. This rise has brought with it considerable attention. Researchers have examined the role of PMSCs in international relations, the history of PMSCs, and above all, the legal implications of outsourcing security and war. As research progresses, a significant gap has become clear. Only a handful of studies have addressed the complex of issues associated with contractors’ demographics, motivations, and lived experience. This paper addresses this gap, examining contractors’ demographics using descriptive statistics from an original dataset of American and British contractors who died in Iraq between the years 2003-2016. The American and British “corporate war dead” resemble their veteran peers in a number of ways, but are nevertheless a distinctive population with respect to key demographic features, particularly race, gender, family status and motivation to serve.

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