In 2003, Keith Richard—an accomplished logistics expert with no military background—made a decision that would forever alter the course of his life. Tasked with leading a rapidly mobilized operation to deliver critical fuel and supplies to U.S. military forces in Iraq and Kuwait, Richard stepped into a war zone as a civilian leader, navigating a role typically reserved for seasoned military personnel.
He joins the Security Clearance Careers podcast to discuss what initially inspired him to tell the story of civilian contractors during the Iraq War, explain what exactly civilian contractors did, how their roles differed from military operations, other on the ground experiences, and broader reflections from completing the book and its legacy.
Thrust into the chaos of war, Richard had to rely on sheer discipline, unshakable grit, and calm resolve to guide both his team and himself. The job was unrelenting—issuing orders that sent unarmed civilian truck drivers into hostile territory, often with no guarantee of return.
“Civilians are the unsung heroes of the Iraq War and should be recognized for their patriotism and commitment to support the military,” Richard reflects.
In his gripping new memoir, Sand, Grit and Dangerous Supply Missions: The Unsung Civilian Heroes of the Iraq War, Richard recounts his extraordinary journey with humility and raw honesty. From modest beginnings along Mississippi’s Gulf Coast to directing a multibillion-dollar logistics campaign in the Middle East, he shares the unseen sacrifices made by thousands of civilian contractors during wartime.
At the time of his deployment, Richard was settled into a fulfilling life as a husband, father, and Southern professional. That stability was upended when he received an unexpected offer: to join the Department of Defense’s Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP), a little-known initiative created in 1985 to allow civilian contractors to support military operations. The decision was agonizing. It tested his personal convictions, threatened his family’s unity, and demanded a leap of faith. Yet, bolstered by his wife’s unwavering encouragement, Richard accepted—and stepped into one of the most perilous chapters of his life.
At the height of the mission, Richard found himself commanding a fleet of over 700 trucks under fire in one of the war’s most dangerous supply corridors. The mission proved deadly, claiming numerous civilian lives. Richard and his employer, defense contractor Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR), would later find themselves at the center of congressional investigations and a high-profile lawsuit brought by the families of the drivers who were killed or gravely injured.
For the first time, Richard breaks his silence in Sand, Grit and Dangerous Supply Missions. He details the disarray, the trauma, and the deeply personal toll—shedding light on the invisible wounds carried by the civilians who stood shoulder to shoulder with the military but were too often overlooked.
“The reality and toll of civilian lives during and after a war needs to be recognized by the U.S. Government,” Richard urges. “Many civilians have been killed, injured, and mentally impacted supporting the U.S. military—without the recognition or care that is rightly afforded to our soldiers.”
