Contractors keeping troops safe

Photo By Sgt. Marshall Thompson | Matia Tibenda (left) and Alvin Ochieng (right), Ugandan contractors with SOC, do a roving patrol during a guard shift at Al Asad Air Base on May 14.  

AL ASAD, IRAQ

05.05.2006

Courtesy Story

207th Public Affairs Detachment

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq - Servicemembers and civilians who go to Al Asad Air Base will notice the sharp looking men and women in tan uniforms and green helmets who run the gates and check points.

They are Ugandan security contractors recruited through Security Operations Consulting, a U.S. security contractor. Although they do not represent the military of Uganda, most have served in their country's army or still serve in the reserve forces.

Paul Eggie, an American security site manager for SOC, said that U.S. employees of the company, many of whom are ex-special forces, had worked closely with the Ugandans and found them to be dependable and all- around good soldiers. SOC started recruiting and now there are about 300 Ugandan security contractors keeping soldiers safe in Al Asad.

"We're a force multiplier," Eggie said. "We've taken over some of the internal responsibilities of the military, like guard duty, so that they can carry on with their essential missions."

Not only do U.S. Soldiers get to focus on their missions, but it's cheaper for the U.S. taxpayer as well. The Ugandan's wage, which may seem low by U.S. standards, is a great deal more than avearage in the relatively depressed Ugandan economy.

"After getting the money we earned in Iraq, we will go back and start small industries to promote our industrialization," said Mulindwa Sajjabi, Ugandan SOC contractor. "We want to upgrade our standard of living."

Sajjabi has a bachelor's degree in education and a master's degree in business administration. He plans to use the money he saved to start a school when he returns to Uganda, but his reasons for coming to Iraq go beyond economics.

"We also came to work in Iraq to help get rid of the terrorists which are rampant here," Sajjabi said.

He is not alone. Mukasa George Wilson, a Ugandan SOC contractor and father of seven, said he came to Iraq to continue the work he did while in the Ugandan army.

"We've been fighting the ADF in my country, which is part of Al Qaeda. So, when I heard about this opportunity in Iraq, I thought, no problem. I've been fighting this in Uganda, I'll go fight it at the source," Wilson said.

Not all the Ugandan contractors see their work here as an extension of fighting terrorism in their own country.

William Ngabirombo, a SOC contractor who is a retired sergeant major from the Ugandan army, said that their work in Iraq is different from fighting the ADF. He said they only provide security for the base so that other coalition fighters can go after the insurgents.

Soldiers like Master Sgt. Clifford Reynolds from 1-109th Infantry, who passes through several Ugandan-run check points every day, said he was pleased with the courteous and thorough guards.

"The rapport with the guys and the Soldiers is very good," Eggie said. "I have to ask the U.S. guys not to chat too much with guys while they're on duty. You don't want to distract them."

Ryan Buytenhuys, a South African-born former Marine, who works as a shift leader for SOC, said that all the Ugandans have all the necessary skills for the job.

"They all speak, write and read English," Buytenhuys said.

Eggie said that all have to qualify with an M-16 rifle and have to meet U.S. military standards. He said that marksmanship is usually the most difficult part of the training program the Ugandans go through.

Before a shift goes on duty, Buytenhuys calls a formation and has the platoon leaders inspect their troops.

"We have formations to ensure that everyone is in the right uniform and to put out any information they need to know," Buytenhuys said. "You have all the Ugandans from different areas and regions. There are fifty plus tribes in Uganda. So getting them all to work together as a team is a challenge."

So far, the Ugandan team has been working well together. A few months ago, they caught a man with a fake identification card trying to enter the base on a bus and turned him over to U.S. military police.

Eggie said this is just one example of their attention to detail and their dedication to keep U.S. troops safe.

• Date Taken: 05.05.2006
• Date Posted: 05.05.2006 03:56
• Story ID: 6282
• Location: AL ASAD, IQ