LOGCAP: Can Battlefield Privatization and Outsourcing Create Tactical Synergy?

Commercial firms have operated on the battlefield in support of combatants since antiquity. This monograph examines the efficacy of current US Army doctrine and practice for contingency contracting. The Armys contingency contracting program is called the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program LOGCAP. The primary research question is Does the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program LOGCAP effectively leverage the private commercial sector at the tactical level of war This Monograph concludes that in order to achieve tactical synergies, the Army should transform LOGCAP into a strategic outsourcing relationship. Battlefield outsourcing in the US Army began with the War of Independence. This tradition accelerated in the 20th century, especially during the Vietnam conflict. The US Army today relies on system contractors to maintain and support increasing numbers of end items of equipment on the battlefield. Since 1992, contingency contractors have been alerted and deployed on contingency missions in Somalia, Rwanda, Haiti, Italy, and Bosnia to provide a broad range of combat support and combat service support to US and allied forces.