The Congressional Research Service reported that if the ratio of contractors to U.S. military personnel remains roughly the same, the deployment of 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan would require 26,000 to 56,000 additional contractors.
The number of contractors in Afghanistan already is growing; from June to September, there was a 40 percent increase in Defense contractors alone.
A representative from the State Department said the focus is shifting away from large U.S.-based reconstruction contracts to smaller, more flexible contracts with fewer subcontracts and grants.
To help oversee these new contracts, the Army’s acquisition workforce continues to hire and expand. Read more.
