
2

Interview

FromHeadquarters

Life SavingAmidst Crisis

ĕĊėĆęĎĔēĘęĆćĎđĎęĞ

OS

ENGAGING PARTNERS GLOBALLY FOR

STABIL ITY , PEACE & DEVELOPMENT

THIS ISSUE

4 From the Editor’s Desk

5 President’s Message

28 ISOA Member News & Jobs Board

29 ISOA Membership Directory

GlobalPerspectives

VOLUME 8 | NUMBER 1 JULY -AUGUST 2012

PICTURE PICTURE PICTURE PICTURE PICTURE

241711 8 14

8 Medical Evacuation and MovementWhen medical support in theater is not enoughKraig Johnson

11 The Other Risk ManagementRemote Area Medicine & MedevacBrendon Bott

14 In-Country Medical RiskPrevention and PreparednessSean Caskie

17 Anatomy of a KidnappingHelping companies and individuals understandthe process and aftermath of an incidentWhitney Grespin

24 Confronting the Boko Haram Challengeto the Nigeria StateExploring Options for a Peaceful SettlementKwesi Aning

26 Escalating Violence in the Eastern DRCPolitical Dimensions May be ShiftingHerman J. Cohen

20 A conversation with Mark BartoliniDirector of the Office of foreign DisasterAssistance at USAID

FEATURE PG

AQ

HF


4

OVER the years, ISOA has experienced many changes—some small and incremental, and others

large and all at once. In each case, the industry has been the bellwether of change in the stability

operations community, ushering in the latest ideas and innovations as client needs change in

response to the strong winds of change in peace, stability, reconstruction, humanitarian aid, and develop-

ment. ISOA has been able to adapt quickly, and provide an industry voice in that community.

As many of our readers know, ISOA began as the International Peace Operations Association, founded with

a very small group of companies in April 2001, all working in support of peacekeeping operations in Africa.

Later that year, the unthinkable would happen, and subsequent and unprecedented international operations

in Iraq and Afghanistan would change the face of contracting worldwide.

By the Fall of 2010, IPOA’s membership had grown significantly to include the full gamut of players in

peacekeeping, military services, humanitarian aid and development support, disaster response and

reconstruction. To reflect the monumental change in membership since early 2001, the phrase “peace

operations” seemed too limited to describe the important and wide-ranging work that our membership was

doing every day. IPOA saw the prevalence of the “stability operations” community that had developed, in

which our full membership was playing a part. It was time to reflect that evolution.

The official name change of IPOA to ISOA may not seem like that big of a change—one letter in an

acronym, to be exact—but it was a reflection of the constant evolution of a dynamic and innovative group of

private sector and nongovernmental actors. Since then, ISOA has become more tuned in to the wider needs

of our members and their clients, and has been able to react quickly to industry needs. Just this year, we

have interacted with an increasing number of stakeholders and partners—from labor rights activists at our

May 1 Labor Trafficking conference, to foreign governments in our continued engagement on the Iraq Visa

issue and Afghan taxation of U.S. foreign assistance.

With the closing of volume 7 of the Journal of International Peace Operations, I wanted to take a moment to

look at the evolution of the publication. Started as the IPOA quarterly in 2004, the publication grew in to a

widely read magazine under the leadership of former Editor-In-chief and ISOA Director, J.J. Messner. By

2007, it had solidified its place as the world’s only publication focused on the private sector role in conflict,

post-conflict and disaster relief environments. Through the evolution and eventual transition of the magazine

to me in January 2011, incremental changes have made continual improvements to its content, delivery,

and insights for partners, stakeholders, clients, and policymakers.

Now, in 2012, I am proud to announce the next step for ISOA’s flagship publication: on the same track as

IPOA’s evolution to ISOA, the Journal of International Peace Operations has now become Stability

Operations magazine. It is a significant improvement that will enhance our communications with all of our

partners, while continuing to provide valuable industry information, news and trends.

I hope that you enjoy the new format, updated look and feel, and revitalized focus. SO will continue to be a

strong voice for the stability operations community writ-large, and will provide an improved platform for

sharing best practices, lessons learned and what’s next for this important field, where our membership

works every day to lay the foundation for long term stability, peace, and development. ■

Jessica Vogel is the Director of Programs & Operations at the International Stability Operations Association (ISOA)and the Editor-in-Chief of Stability Operations magazine. Contact Ms. Vogel at [email protected].

The Winds of ChangeWelcome to the new Stability Operations magazine

Jessica Vogel

From Headquarters | From the Editor’s Desk

Copyright © 2012 International Stability Operations Association (ISOA).All rights reserved. The ISOA logo is a trademark of ISOA. StabilityOperations magazine (SO) and its logo are trademarks of ISOA.

STABILITY OPERATIONS MAGAZINE IS THE WORLD’SONLY PUBLICATION EXPLORING TOPICS PERTINENT TO

PUBLIC, PRIVATE AND NONGOVERNMENTAL SECTOR

ACTORS PARTNERING IN PEACE AND STABILITY

OPERATIONS. SO IS PUBLISHED 6 TIMES PER YEAR

BY ISOA, A GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP OF PRIVATE

SECTOR AND NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

PROVIDING CRITICAL SERVICES IN FRAGILE

ENVIRONMENTS WORLDWIDE.

Editor-in-ChiefJessica Vogel

Assistant EditorEric Long

Contributing EditorNaveed Bandali

PublisherDoug Brooks

Business ManagerJason Kennedy

ISOA welcomes submissions for all SOmagazine content. The editorial teamreserves the right to accept or rejectsubmissions for print and/or online use.

The opinions expressed herein or on peaceops.comdo not necessarily represent the opinions of ISOA, itsofficers, Board of Directors, members or affiliates.ISOA bears no responsibility for the editorial content.Views expressed in articles are those of the authors.

No part of this publication may bereproduced in any form without permissionin writing from the Editor-in-Chief.

ISOA members receive a limited number ofsubscriptions included in their membership package.Individual annual subscriptions are available for$30 (US & Canada) and $50 (International).

Advertising packages are available. Contact ISOA forpricing and information.

Formerly the Journal of International PeaceOperations (JIPO) and the IPOA Quarterly.

The Publication of theINTERNATIONAL STABILITY OPERATIONS ASSOCIATION

1634 I St. NW, Suite 800,Washington, D.C. 20006, U.S.A.E-mail………[email protected] site……..www.peaceops.comISSN 1933-8189

ĕĊėĆęĎĔēĘęĆćĎđĎęĞ

OS E NGAG ING P ART NERS G LOBALLY FO R

S TABIL IT Y , P EACE & D EVELOPMENT


5

BY MOST ACCOUNTS, the African

Union efforts in Mogadishu, Somalia

are successfully stabilizing the city

and region, and doing so at a fraction of the

cost were it a typical international effort–

especially a Western-led operation, such as

those conducted by NATO. Although not

without rough moments, particularly in the early

days, the mission is breaking new ground and

providing a glimpse of the future conduct of

peace operations by the international

community: militaries from less developed

states complemented by robust, specialized

private sector services.

We have seen that militaries from developing

countries have fewer political impediments and

more compelling motivations for deployments in

these vital international operations. In Africa,

regional militaries have been quite willing and

surprisingly successful in addressing regional

issues so long as their operations are

supported with funding and specialized services

from the international community. At the same

time, equipment, advanced training and

services such as airlift, maintenance, base

support and medical facilities make militaries

more professional and capable. While even

minor tactical setbacks often make Western

deployments untenable politically, African

militaries have shown an enviable resilience

and willingness to sustain and complete their

missions.

The Africa Union AMISOM mission’s recent

success in Somalia has been extraordinary.

Their al Shabaab foe have been outfought and

outmaneuvered; their resistance has been no

match for the Uganda-led advancing AU force.

Only a few years ago, AMISOM had a poor

reputation among Somalis: using artillery to

answer snipers, for example, with all the

collateral and humanitarian damage that

creates. This time around, AMISOM troops are

clearly much better trained in vastly improved

tactics.

Past experiences ensure that Western nations

remain loathe to deploy any boots on the

ground in Somalia, but plenty of private

organizations on the ground are engaged in

training and advising, dealing with unexploded

ordnance and IEDs, providing a high-level of

medical care, and delivering extensive logistical

support to the AMISOM personnel. By most

accounts the public-private partnership in

Somalia is paying off with the first real potential

for stabilizing this long-time region of chaos.

A similar public-private operation is ongoing in

the north of Somalia where the UAE has funded

an extremely successful program to train up the

Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF). In this

case, the private sector, with the full support

and cooperation of the local government, has

trained up a small but effective police force

capability from scratch. This relative handful of

locals (less than 500), operating from a small

but well-equipped base in Bosaso on the north

coast of Puntland, have chased pirates from all

their primary bases in the region. The PMPF

operation has been operating at a fraction of

the cost of the international fleet doing counter-

piracy patrols in the waters off the Somalia

coast (approximately $24m vs. $2B per year!),

but has done far more to disrupt the pirate

scourge. Combined with the AMISOM operation

in the south, there is far greater reason for hope

in Somalia than at any time in the past twenty

years. Unfortunately, the rumored end of

funding for this operation would be yet another

enormous setback for Somalia and international

counter-piracy efforts, unless others in the

international community are prepared to step up

and cover the remarkably miniscule cost of the

operation.

AMISOM and the PMPF are proving that local

and regional actors are willing and capable of

robust and effective operations to successfully

address complex issues that have befuddled

the larger international community for decades,

due to political complications and reluctance to

commit force. Innovative use of contractors has

maximized the effectiveness of the operations

and successfully tapped into the vast

experience of retired military personnel from the

best forces in the world. It has also minimized

the political exposure of countries supportive of

the political goals of ending piracy and

stabilizing Somalia, but unprepared to put their

own ‘boots on the ground’. It is a model that

works and could and should be expanded,

considering the enormous humanitarian

potential for the future. ■

By most accounts the public-private partnership�� ϐ��Ǧtial for stabilizing this long-time region of chaos.

Doug Brooks is the President of the International Stability Operations Association (ISOA). Contact Mr. Brooks at [email protected].

From Headquarters | President’s Message

The Stability Modelof the FutureSupporting Regional & Local Solutions

Doug Brooks

Pho

to:A

MIS

OM

troop

inM

ogad

ishu

,Som

alia

.Cre

dit:

UN

Pho

to/S

tuar

tPric

e


6


7

WORKING in a fragile environ-

ment presents many risks for

any actor, whether delivering

food to a starving population, training police

forces, or building base camps. The stability

operations community is no stranger to the risk

of workplace injury, sudden illness, or even

attack or kidnapping. When crisis strikes,

organizations working in conflict, post conflict

and disaster relief environments must react

quickly. This feature explores the many facets

of life saving amidst crisis—preparation,

planning, and crisis response.

Medical services are an important piece of the

crisis response puzzle. �ėĆĎČ� Ĕč ēĘĔē�

provides a valuable industry point of view in his

discussion of medical evacuation and

movement in austere environments. Drawing

from experience in Afghanistan, he covers a

wide scope of possible medical emergencies,

available responses and useful prevention tips.

It is easy to forget that medical crisis prevention

strategies are part of an overall risk manage-

ment strategy. �ėĊēĉĔē��Ĕęę�tackles life

saving from a risk manager standpoint,

covering the major challenges from assessment

to medevac to planning. As in any life saving

effort, time is the most critical element and

proper risk preparation can mean the difference

between life and death.

Prevention and planning have become the

catchwords of medical services delivery in

unstable places. �ĊĆē��ĆĘĐĎĊ�provides the

“Medical Emergency Preparedness Checklist”

and highlights the importance of coordinating

with the right partners—be it insurance

providers, medevac specialists, or government

clients. The quality of care for staff is often only

as good as the partners the company works

with.

Employees don’t just face medical risk—

kidnapping is unfortunately all too common.

� čĎęēĊĞ�ėĊĘĕĎē�takes another crisis

perspective in discussing the elements of a

kidnapping crisis, and how a company can

prepare their employees and improve their

prevention capabilities in order to save lives. ■

FEATURELife Saving Amidst Crisis

Managing Risk in Employee Crises: From Medical Emergencies To Kidnapping

Pho

to:C

redi

t:U

.S.A

irFo

rce

phot

oby

Sta

ffS

gt.R

yan

Whi

tney


8

OVERVIEW

As of February 2012, in Afghanistan,

there were over 110,000 civilian

contractors, compared to approxi-

mately 90,000 US military service members,

according to the Department of Defense. These

civilian contractors provide many services

including security, base life support (BLS),

maintenance of vehicles, interpreters, and

dining facilities. While the military medical

components do provide life, limb and eyesight

(LLE) medical care, the majority of the primary

care medicine falls on the contractor.

With the limited medical resources in theater

and the number of employees from different

countries and various levels of routine medical

care provided by their host countries, the need

for employees to be transported out of theater

for definitive care and evaluation poses a

challenge to any contractor.

According to the Labor Department’s statistics,

1,777 American contractors in Afghanistan

were injured or wounded seriously enough to

miss more than four days of work in 2011

(NYT). This number alone shows the basic

impact of providing services in an environment

such as Afghanistan.

There are 3 types of movement that routinely

occur in theater for medical purposes. They are:

Patient Movement, in theater, where an

employee suffers an injury or illness that

requires him/her to be moved to a facility

(military or contractor operated) that has more

extensive diagnostics (radiology, laboratory,

etc.) or higher trained medical professionals

(Physicians, PA’s, etc.). An example of this

would be an employee is injured at a smaller

FOB and is transported to a larger FOB or base

for care.

Patient Movement, out of theater, where an

employee suffers an injury or illness that is

beyond the scope of medical services provided

in theater but is not serious enough to require

utilization of the emergency medevac system.

An example of this would be an employee with

an orthopedic injury requiring rehabilitation or

surgery.

Medevac, where an employee suffers an injury

or illness that is severe enough that either the

military medical personnel or the contractor

civilian medical provider initiates the emergency

medevac system. Examples could be an

employee suffers traumatic injuries from hostile

fire or has a heart attack

Most of the movements occur through

coordination of care between both civilian and

military medical assets. Except for the instance

of an activation of the emergency medevac

system of the military, most all other move-

ments are coordinated through the contractor

medical provider (Onsite OHS, for example),

and the prime contractor’s insurance provider.

As the medical condition is discussed with all

pertinent parties (contractor medical provider,

prime contractor management, prime contractor

insurance provider, and civilian medical

transport agency), the appropriate level of

patient care is discussed and agreed upon by

the providers. In the period from 2009-current,

Kraig Johnson has over 20 years in the Medical Program Management Field and is currently the Director of Operations for Onsite OHS. Contact Kraig [email protected].

Feature | Life Saving Amidst Crisis

Medical Evacuation andMovementWhen medical support in theater is not enough

Kraig Johnson

PatientMovement

(non-militarymedevac)

Civilian MedicalProvider (i.e. OnsiteOHS) coordinates

with PrimeContractor InsuranceProvider (i.e. CIGNA)

Civilian MedicalTransport Agency is

contacted andProvider-to-Provider

Communication isinitiated

Civilian Contactor MedicalProvider, Insurance

Provider, and CivilianMedical Transport Agencymaintain communicationuntil employee arrives at

destination Medical Treat-ment Facility (MTF)

Civilian MedicalProvider (i.e. Onsite

OHS) coordinateswith AOR TheaterMedical Command

MilitaryMedevac System

required

Employee isinjured/ill requiring

out of theatermovement

Figure 1: Basic Flowchart of Medical Movement Process


9

there have been very few instances that the

author can recall where there has been a

difference on medical opinion on the level of

care to be provided to an employee who was

being transferred out of theater (this will be

discussed further in the Lessons Learned

section).

The overall coordination needed to provide a

successful medical transport from an austere

environment such as Afghanistan, to tertiary

medical care facilities throughout the world is a

difficult task to say the least. Keep in mind that

over half of the contractor employees in

Afghanistan are non-US citizens. These

employees come from countries such as India,

Nepal and Kenya. This significantly plays into

the planning and coordination of a medical

movement in that there are varying levels of

care provided. For example, what a US citizen

might consider a lower standard of medical

facility in the United States may actually be a

high level of medical care in another country.

This is where the communication and

coordination proves to be vitally important.

The open lines of communication (see figure 1)

ensure that all information is shared with the

necessary parties. The entire process from the

time of injury/illness to arrival at the tertiary care

facility can vary tremendously. Factors that can

impact overall time required to move an

employee include, but are not limited to the

following:

The overall medical condition, as the

seriousness of a condition can dictate speed

and urgency of medical transport. This

sometimes causes an event that may have

started as a basic movement to an event that

escalates to the necessity to activate the

emergency medevac system.

The geographical location of employee, as this

impacts how quickly an employee can get to a

definitive level of care. This also is driven by

type of movement assets available (ground,

rotary wing, or fixed wing).

The nationality of the employee, as some

nationalities have difficulties obtaining entry

visas for certain countries, even if they are on

an air ambulance.

Administrative issues, since any movement in

theater, or especially out of theater, requires a

number of administrative tasks that need to be

completed prior to the employee going

anywhere. These include but are not limited to:

copies of LOA in hand, passport, medical

records, and contact information for the facility

the employee is going to, liaison information,

embassy information. These issues are

routinely handled by the Contractors HR

department in coordination with in-theater

project management and medical provider

personnel.

Lessons Learned

While providing medical services in various

austere locations, Onsite OHS has assisted/

initiated over 700 medical evacuations/patient

movements. These have consisted of routine

cases such as chronic orthopedic issues, to

immediate medical responses, to hostile

actions.

Continued on page 10

Feature | Life Saving Amidst CrisisP

hoto

:An

ISA

Fso

ldie

rrec

eive

sm

edic

alca

reat

anO

nSite

OH

Scl

inic

inA

fgha

nist

an.C

redi

t:O

nsite

OH

S


10

The OHS model for medical evacuation and

movement has worked, for the most part, as

efficiently as expected. The pitfalls appear

when there is miscommunication, or when

mission priorities change the outlook for a

medical evacuation/movement. Depending on

the particular location, some prime contractors

still rely heavily on un-owned air assets such as

the military or other contractors, and with that,

the movement of the patient may be at the

discretion of mission commanders or other

contractors.

Overall, our experience has been that the

interaction with all parties (prime contractors,

Insurance providers, military medical assets,

and tertiary care facilities) has been exemplary.

When it comes to medical issues, everyone

usually is able to fully understand the urgency

and need for an employee to get to a higher

level of care.

Some lessons learned prove to be simple yet

vital in the success of medical movements/

evacuations:

Engage all applicable parties BEFORE the

need arises by making early initial contact with

the contractor’s DBA/Insurance providers,

asking the names and contact numbers of the

air ambulance providers that are used, and

making initial contact with them, meeting with

the highest level of military medical authority at

the FOB(s) or location(s) you will be operating,

building a strong working relationship with

contractor HR/personnel management, and

coordinating closely with contractor site

management to clearly define the roles that are

to be played and discuss any issues that may

arise.

Prevent complacency by not letting the lack of

using the medical evacuation/movement

processes allow it to become outdated and

flawed. Routinely follow up with all parties at

regular intervals to allow for better coordination

and communication when the need arises.

Schedule a debriefing with site management

and contractor insurance provider after a

medical movement to discuss what could be

done differently, the positives, and the

negatives. Make sure to update policies and

procedures as missions change (base expands

or contracts, decreased number of contractor

employees, loss of assets, etc.) and maintain a

updated list of available resources, both civilian

and military, and reciprocate that information

with them.

Maintain patient advocacy by understanding

that this is a stressful event for an employee.

Think of what can be done to minimize that

stress and ensure that the employee gets the

most prudent medical care in the shortest

amount of time possible. This includes being

the go-between with the insurance company,

civilian air ambulance provider, or military

asset. Relay any concerns you have as early as

possible and seek resolution as soon as

possible.

Follow up by ensuring that you maintain

communication and status reports from the time

the medical movement is initiated until the

employee arrives at their final Medical

treatment facility. This will allow you to update

your client, site management and other

personnel as needed. This also allows you to

fully close out any recordkeeping or patient

records that need to be updated. ■

Continued from page 9

The overall coordination needed to provide a successful medical transportfrom an austere environment such as Afghanistan, to tertiary medical care��ϐ��Ǥ


hotoU

H-60

ME

DE

VA

CH

elicopter.Credit:outlaw

13


11

INTRODUCTION

For organizations working in emerging nations, areas of current conflict, post conflict or just

plain remote locations, the delivery of safe and adequate medical services is paramount and

can be an extreme challenge in these ‘frontier’ style environments. Local medical services in

such locations are often underfunded and lacking in medical equipment, trained medical personnel,

Author biography and/or article information.


The Other Risk ManagementRemote Area Medicine & Medevac

Brendon Bott

Continued on page X

and often non-existent infrastructure. Added

to this, many of the medical consumables and

pharmaceutical supplies can be scarce and

where they are available, sub-standard or

expired supplies are often in use. This can then

exacerbate and complicate already serious

medical conditions. Overlay this with, for

example, the harsh climatic conditions of the

South Sudan tropics, renowned globally as the

country with the most tropical diseases, paired

with rising insecurity and organizations face

major challenges and risks to protect staff

medically.

Most organizations that have the responsibility

of providing medical support to their staff face

a myriad of decisions regarding medical risk

management and mitigation planning. All this

has to be balanced against available budgets

and operational necessities. The requirement

to establish robust emergency MEDEVAC

procedures or non urgent patient repatriation

takes considerable professional evaluation and

expertise.

Medical Assessment & Medical Service

Planning – The Health Risk Assessment

As with all ‘frontier’ work challenges, the

planning and implementation phases are

critical to ensuring robust and lasting medical

service solutions that will facilitate any range of

scenarios that can typically be expected.

Decisions on whether to use remote area

medics or on-site clinics, levels of care and

Pho

to:F

ora

num

bero

fyea

rsU

nity

oper

ated

rota

ryw

ing

airc

raft

forU

NO

PS

inS

outh

Sud

an.C

redi

t:U

nity

Res

ourc

esG

roup

Brendon Bott has worked for over 18 years in the medical field from a paramedic in the Northern Territory in Australia to a remote site medic working on seismic shipsin the North Sea to gold mines in the Mongolian desert. Acknowledgements – Patsy O’Hagan & Peter Glenister.



12

equipment schedules, personnel and

qualifications are just some examples requiring

detailed professional assessment. Assessment

topics should include a full site health, safety

and environment audit, climatic conditions and

the prevailing and predominant disease risks,

evaluation of any current medical services and

infrastructures and thorough risk mitigation

strategies. Detailed Health Risk Assessments

conducted by experienced and qualified remote

medical specialists is essential. Medical supply

chain challenges often abound and in turn

require the appropriate expertise and planning.

Medevac

When an incident occurs in a remote area, a

well designed medical service solution does

have a structured and staged process to safely

transport and treat the patient from the field

area and on to a static clinic for further

intervention and possible transfer for specialist

care. This starts from having immediate access

to appropriate medical transport on site to

respond, treat and stabilize the patient.

Secondly and often overlooked (usually

because “I thought our Medical Insurance just

took care of it”), is the coordination from the

field to the more complicated process of

transportation in order to reach a higher level of

care. This often involves international flights for

chartered aircraft and the coordination with a

number of different organizations and

government departments to secure approval

and admission. Prior planning, organization and

rehearsal are fundamental to the success of

this process.

Time is critical for medical evacuations and

issues that can eat away the time abound.

Some are as follows:

Understanding your medical insurance cover

and the provider’s obligations.

Having aircraft and medical staff sourced and

available in advance.

Understanding how to obtain the right

clearances especially concerning aviation and

immigration.

Coordinating the logistics of ground ambulanc-

es, stabilization and critical care clinics when

they exist, with aero med evac platforms.

Communicating with patients ‘HQ’, relatives and

insurance companies.

Ensuring that up to-date medical information is

provided to both the Medevac team and the

receiving facility.

Planning

Understanding your surrounding environment is

key to establishing a set protocol in a remote

area or an area of insecurity. Individuals and

companies that are working in these locations

need to conduct detailed Health Risk

Assessments at all work sites - desk assess-

ment alone is not advisable - to evaluate and

plan for normal treatment protocols as well as

any emergency response if an incident occurs.

For example, the likelihood of Malaria in the

Gobi desert is not a concern as it would be for

the Tropics of Africa, but both areas have high

risk of motor vehicle accidents. Again, in

Afghanistan or Iraq the incidence of explosive

or gunshot injuries is liable to be a lot higher

than in a town or city in South Sudan.

Understanding these scenarios, planning and

training for them and communicating them to

staff are fundamental components in a

comprehensive medical service solution. In

addition, resources available locally to support

any response is also important, so that any

coordination with medical assistance

companies can run smoothly. The cost of these

evacuations can be high and place a financial

liability on the company. Medical & Evacuation

insurance companies and their assistance

partners provide this safety net when incidents

do occur.

For the assistance companies to synchronize

the logistics of cross border evacuations, a

considerable amount of paperwork and

communication is required, the core of which is

the patient’s information and medical reports.

This is essential in providing the appropriate

and timely activation of medical evacuation

response. Having a consolidated database of

employees reduces the problems and

streamlines the process.

Time is critical for medical evacuations and is-sues that can eat away the time abound.



Photo:U

nityR

esourcesG

roupruns

level1&

level2clinics

inS

outhS

udan&

Iraqcurrently.C

redit:Unity

Resources

Group


13

Activation

Medical evacuations are categorized into

commercial evacuations (accompanied) or an

Air Ambulance (a dedicated aircraft) that has

been specifically fitted out for transfer of

patients which includes stretchers, oxygen and

patient monitoring equipment. The movement of

casualties in all weathers, over all terrains, at

any time (subject to the situation of the

moment) is a key capability.

On-site medical clinics and indeed field site

medical staff need to have the skills and

experience to recognize the limits of their

treatment capacity and to initiate the evacuation

process at the earliest point on the healthcare

continuum.

Medical evacuations fall in to 2 categories –

urgent, and non urgent.

Transferring patients by air requires specialized

training and experience as the changes in

atmospheric pressure affect the injured patient

and the treatments in specific ways. Trauma

injuries which account for a large percentage of

medical evacuations need to have special

considerations when evacuating by air.

The aircraft that are used to perform medical

evacuation are configured specifically to

accommodate stretchers, oxygen use and,

when necessary, to allow for the electrical

discharge of defibrillators during cardiac arrests

and resuscitations. Due to the remote locations

of these work sites, there are also often

restrictions on the type of aircraft that can

access the landing strip, where one does exist.

For example, the size and type of the runway

limits the type of aircraft. This can in turn

impact the response time when sourcing aircraft

and calculating the time for admission to

definitive treatment. Time is a critical factor for

evacuations with considerations given to time to

activate the aircraft and crew, the flight time and

the accessibility of the landing strip during

daylight hours. This could mean that it takes

upwards of 12 to 24 hours before a patient is

admitted in the referral health facility. Again,

thorough planning during the assessment

phase will have identified this and the

established process will have ensured suitable

levels of equipment, qualified personnel and

facilities are in place to handle the situation and

keep the patient alive.

Conclusion

In addition to appropriate planning and risk

management, working with the right partners

with the right capabilities can make a

tremendous difference in a medical crisis. Unity

Resources Group’s Clinic in Juba, South Sudan

performs and coordinates over 50 evacuations

a year, with specialized care and stabilization

onsite and coordination with retrieval aircraft

and receiving health facilities. Building strong

working relationships and understanding of

available resources is paramount in delivering

medical evacuations when urgently required.

Unity Medical Services has clinics throughout

South Sudan and in Iraq and specializes in

remote area medical service solutions. ■

In addition to appropriate planning and riskmanagement, working with the right partners

with the right capabilities can make atremendous difference in a medical crisis.


hoto

:UR

Gcu

rren

tlyop

erat

esfix

edw

ing

airc

raft

inS

outh

ern

Afg

hani

stan

Cre

dit:

Uni

tyR

esou

rces

Gro

up


14

WHEN working in high risk,

international environments such

as Afghanistan, employees in all

industries are exposed to foreign illness and

tropical disease. While precautions and

preventative measures are taken to avoid

sickness abroad, once contracting a medical

ailment, it can quickly transform into life-

threatening condition, without proper medical

service assistance. If a colleague begins to

exhibit symptoms of illness beyond personal

treatment, local, in-country medical centers can

attempt to diagnose or suggest treatment.

However, with limited resources and medical

equipment, the local assistance may be unable

to treat or diagnose the ailment. At this point,

contact with the corporate HR department must

be established to continue support through

insurance.

By the nature of the industry, it should be

obvious that expeditionary services are

hazardous, evolving, and fast paced. The

example described above is unusual, but most

difficult scenarios are unusual. Constant review

and alterations of corporate medical procedures

must be continual in order to prevent a situation

as mentioned above. Failure on all sides may

be apparent—from corporate offices, to

insurance firms, to those working in-country—

but ineffective procedures can lead to life or

death circumstances.

When it comes right down to it, you need to

have contingency plans in place in the event

that on-hand resources are unavailable.

Therefore, it is incumbent on each person in the

field to educate themselves on what the

company plans and policies are in the event of

an injury or illness so severe as to require

medical evacuation. Once you’ve reviewed

your company program, ask questions—

because it is your welfare at stake.

Another reality is that regular insurance

companies do not have persons to deploy to

the scene of a crisis. It is up to you to get to a

hospital and only then will they begin their

services. If you find yourself or a staff member

in the middle of nowhere in critical condition, a

regular insurance company is not going to be

what you need. You will need to be evaluated,

stabilized and evacuated as quickly and safely

as possible.

The sample checklist in Figure 1 provides steps

to ensure you are properly educated and

prepared for any emergency medical

circumstance in-country.

When it comes right down to it, you need to havecontingency plans in place in the event that

on-hand resources are unavailable.

Sean Caskie is the Program Manager for CJPS at SOC LLC, and has spent most of the last 11 years overseas in post-conflict markets providing life and missionsupport. Here he shares lessons learned from a past employment experience.


In-Country Medical RiskPrevention and Preparedness

Sean Caskie

Photo:P

atienttreatedata

UN

medicalclinic.C

redit:UN


15

Whomever your company chooses to work

with, the goal should be the provision of world-

class medical response, advice and evacuation.

The MEDEVAC firm must be able to provide the

medical and security expertise combined with

an ability to deploy their own professionals to

the exact location of your emergency and

transport an employee to the destination of

choice.

One thing to keep in mind is that most

MEDEVAC firms are not insurance companies.

If you are not contracting them through your

insurance provider, you most likely will be

required to contract with them prior to any

emergency, or be prepared to pay a significant

fee up-front. If you do contract directly with the

MEDEVAC provider, make sure you and the

insurance provider understand your coverage.

Appropriate preparation, including well thought

standard operating and effective emergency

procedures, will ensure that when a medical

crisis occurs and a staff member becomes

injured or ill, problems in seeking treatment will

be mitigated.

In the stability operations industry, it is

incumbent on companies to provide quality care

to their staff. Companies ask them to work in

dangerous environments, often at considerable

risk. It is part of the industry’s responsibility that

people are cared for adequately, even when the

unforeseen occurs. ■


� ĊĉĎĈĆđ��ĒĊėČĊēĈĞ��ėĊĕĆėĊĉ ēĊĘĘ��č ĊĈĐđĎĘę

� ��ϐ��

Identify medical facilities and professionals in your area, both locally and regionally and cre-ate relationships with them

Make sure they understand the nationalities of ALL your employees and be clear on the typesof coverage they provide to each

Ensure that illness and injuries that are not work related are covered by your insurance pro-vider

Review your policy at least every 6 months, and each time you enter a new geographic market

Ensure that your MEDEVAC company has a facility located in the country in which you oper-ate, with the proper licenses and assets to provide contracted assistance

Ensure that your human resources department has realistic emergency response procedures,��ϐ��ǡ��that is updated annually

��ϐ��your team to review operations and procedures

��ǡ��ϐ��ǡ��Ǧ��ȋ�Ǥ�Ǥǣ��ϐ��Ȍǡ��– whichcould potentially impact life sustainment efforts

��ϐ��ǡ��ϐ��conditions.

Figure 1: Checklist for preparedness for any in-country emergency medical circumstance.


16


17

WHILE ISOA member companies have committed to the highest standard of

responsible conduct, all companies operating in complex or non-permissive

environments face unavoidable risks inherent to their mission setting. Unfortunately,

one of the most potentially damaging risks faced in these environments is that of employee

kidnapping.

Although victims of kidnapping are commonly categorized as hostages, there is an explicit

divergence in the nature of hostage taking versus kidnap incidents. Hostage taking is a crime that

may be secondary to the initial intent, whereas kidnapping is a business where the victim is a

specific, intended target. The trade of kidnapping has developed into an industry of its own as

organized criminal and terrorist networks have become increasingly sophisticated. However, the

important thing to keep in mind in business is not the motivation of the perpetrators, but determining

the most effective resolution of an incident.

In order to determine how to respond to an event, companies and NGOs must understand the

anatomy of an incident, and thereafter develop actionable plans to best prepare, train, and protect

themselves from kidnapping crimes.

Pho

to:H

ands

tied

toa

chai

r.C

redi

t:H

anna

h/F

lickr

Whitney Grespin is an Operations Associate at Atlantean, LLC, a provider of specialized services to the U.S. government and private sector clients around the world.


Anatomy of a KidnappingHelping companies and individuals understandthe process and aftermath of an incident

Whitney Grespin


Kidnapping Phases

Basic briefing and training programs are based

on conveying the body of knowledge

surrounding what actually happens before,

during, and after a kidnapping incident to give

potential victims the most comprehensive

situational awareness and preparation

possible. The following paragraphs outline the

phases and appropriate responses to be taken

by a victim in such circumstances.

Target selection/preoperational surveillance:

This pre-event surveillance can be discreet or

overt, mobile or static. This reconnaissance is

the initializing event, the first step of the

kidnapping. According to surveillance

detection specialists this is the only time one

would be able to realize that something is up.

This is the point at which the knowledge and

skills gained from formal education and training

about recognizing pre-incident indicators can

be game-changing.

Target acquisition/capture: At this stage in the

kidnapping event the wheels have already

been set in motion, and the options of the

individual are fight, flee, or surrender. If the

kidnappers are there to do harm they will do so

right away; however, if they are there to commit

a kidnapping, then they inherently have an

interest in negotiating safe release for their

captive as a means to their ends. During the

capture phase, potential victims have only a

split second to avoid capture before being

moved to a second location, at which point the

chances of successful recovery drop

dramatically. Once weapons are drawn and

pointed, the odds of escaping successfully

during the capture phase are against the

victim’s favor.

Transportation: If an initial escape attempt is

unsuccessful, then gaining as much situational

awareness as possible during transit to a

secondary or subsequent location is the most

important thing to which the victim should pay

attention. Individuals should think of survival


18

and note things like how long it takes to get to

the location, any visible route markers or

landmarks, the amount of time that it take to get

somewhere, and the number of people and

their apparent relationships or hierarchy.

Detention and negotiation: During this phase

experts advise that captives mentally, “Prepare

for a long stay and remember negotiation isn’t

up to you.” The first actionable item that should

be a victim’s priority is to develop rapport with

the guard or anyone involved in order to

establish a relationship based on the human

condition. One experienced special operations

HUMINT specialist counseled, “You need to

show them you are a fellow human being.” As

per the Army’s Code of Conduct for Survival,

Evasion, Resistance, and Escape: “Surviving in

some terrorist detentions may depend on

hostages conveying a personal dignity and

apparent sincerity to the captors. Hostages,

therefore, may discuss non substantive topics

such as sports, family, and clothing, to convey

to the terrorists the captive’s personal dignity

and human qualities... The purpose of this

dialogue is for the hostage to become a

“person” in the captor’s eyes, rather than a

mere symbol of his or her ideological hatred.

Such a dialogue also should strengthen the

hostage’s determination to survive and resist.”

Furthermore, the HUMINT specialist advised

that these types of interactions allow you to

learn information about them, with which you

may be able to manipulate the captor(s) in the

future.

Private companies may hire the services of a

negotiator, but the US government adheres to a

strict policy of non-negotiation. It is the U.S

government’s policy to deny kidnappers the

benefits of ransom, reciprocal detainee/prisoner

release, policy changes, or any other act of

concession, and instead espouses the pursuit

of an investigation leading to the apprehension

and prosecution of kidnappers who illegally

capture and detain U.S. citizens.

Escape/rescue/liberation: When solicited,

insights and comments on escape decision

points and tactics waivered. So many aspects

that inform an escape decision are based on

situational context and personal capabilities, but

one professional commented, “[Escape

attempts have] gotta be all in – you can’t half

ass it.” Another countered that, “Professional

kidnappers have very tightly controlled areas

and one must consider the consequences of a

failed attempt: death, higher ransom, torture, or

if captured in a group, death to the remaining

members. Escape should be a last resort, and

only if your life is in imminent danger.”

A more ready consensus involved direct advice

given by individuals with awareness of and

experience with the execution of recovery

missions, who agreed, “If you’re ever kidnapped

and you hear a bang [flash bang/stun grenade],

you get down as fast as possible, do nothing,

and stay where you are.” In the event of a

rescue trained recovery personnel will conduct

a thorough search of the premises and would

find remaining noncombatants, and attempted

intervention or assistance on behalf of the

captive may only hinder or complicate their

procedures. “Stay still,” instructs a professional,

“Don’t try to get a gun; don’t try to help.”

The teams tasked with rescue missions vary in

quality from those with world class training from

western countries to ad hoc teams with little to

no training in third world countries. No matter

where it happens, if a rescue attempt occurs,

the best course of action is to stay on the

ground. Assistance to the rescue team comes

best after the operation through the sharing of

information witnessed during the capture and

holding phases of the event.

Recovery: The phase after the event is not just

for the victim and/or their family, but also for the

company and how they deal with the aftermath.

This after action and the post-event treatment

of the victim has an overwhelming impact on

whether there is animosity between the

organization and the employee about the

company’s treatment of the incident, and the

level of risk of legal action against the company.

Common Mistakes

Lessons learned from kidnapping events are

rarely shared or publicized due to the sensitive

nature of both the event itself and the related

legal repercussions. That being said, every

single subject matter expert consulted for this

article individually stated that surveillance

detection is the single most important skill in

which at-risk individuals should be proficient.

More generally, that critique translates to bad

situational awareness on behalf of the victim

and their failure to change patterns of life and

truly understand the surrounding environment.

One expert advises employees working outside

their normal comfort zone, “Don’t get

complacent; a lot of people get complacent

after having been there for a few weeks, a few

months, maybe a year or two and they start

thinking and behaving as locals. The problem

is that they will always be a foreigner to people

in the local population, including malicious

actors who are looking for easy targets.”

As one industry expert warned, “The days when

NGOs operated differently are over – they are



Photo:K

idnappersdon'ttake

creditcards.One

ofthem

ostdifficultlogistics

obstaclesfor

organizationsis

theacquisition

ofcashin

eitherU

SD

orlocalcurrency.C

redit:Arcis

International


19

at risk as much as anybody else.” While many

NGOs have valid concerns that their impartiality

may be compromised by working openly with

the military, that should not preclude them from

providing comprehensive training and briefings

to their employees.

Preventive Measures

While there are many aspects of these

environments that companies can’t control,

there are steps that they can take to avoid

undue complications by providing training and

guidance to employees. Beyond, or comple-

mentary to, the training that civilians receive

through mandated CRC processing for

government funded deployments is a wide

ranging menu of training options that private

companies can provide to NGOs and their

peers.

Francisco Quinones, Managing Director of Arcis

International, has been involved in over 150

kidnap-for-ransom, extortion, and wrongful

detention cases. His advice is straightforward,

“If [a company is] sending people to an area

outside their normal comfort zone, everyone

should have a formal pre-incident briefing

requiring written acknowledgement for two

reasons; first, to reduce risks, and second, to

reduce company liability.” He also advises the

establishment of a comprehensive crisis

management plan that details a clear chain of

responsibility during the incident, as well as

standard procedures to follow the resolution of

an incident and mitigate after-action against the

company.

From PSD providers in Iraq to human terrain

advisors in Afghanistan to oil companies in

Nigeria, all companies need to have compre-

hensive emergency action plans as well as

sufficient legal safeguards in place to protect

both the individual worker and the company

itself.

Companies should consult with their insurance

provider to discuss appropriate coverage

options and should also establish a baseline

working relationship with service providers who

specialize in incident response. Choosing a

company with clear past performance of such a

critical service is vital to successful resolution of

such an incident. Although nobody wants to

plan on an event like this occurring, there is no

worse circumstance than being unprepared to

respond appropriately.

A number of ISOA member companies provide

mitigation training and insurance advisory

services to help employers and deployed

personnel avoid or address such events.

For more information, please contact

[email protected]. ■

Although nobody wants to plan on an event like this occurring, there is noworse circumstance than being unprepared to respond appropriately.



20

MARK BARTOLINI is the

Director of the Office of foreign

Disaster Assistance at the U.S.

Agency for International Development. the

lead U.S. government agency for coordinat-

ing and responding to international

emergencies and disasters. Mr. Bartolini’s

disaster response experience includes a 13-

year affiliation with the New York-based

International Rescue Committee (IRC).

Looking at high profile disasters in recent

years, from hurricanes to tsunamis to

tornadoes to earthquakes, what trends have

emerged in disaster response, both positive

and negative?

Bartolini: Looking back at recent high profile

disasters, I can say that the humanitarian

community has learned from past mistakes and,

as a result, we’ve become stronger in several

ways. At USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign

Disaster Assistance—USAID/OFDA for short—

we’re doing a better job of implementing best

practices. We’ve improved technically, with

better processes in place to assess and meet

critical needs during a disaster. A lot of

progress has been made in incorporating

innovation and technology into disaster

response, which has affected almost every

sector we work in, from agriculture to nutrition,

and health to protection. But although we’re

getting stronger, we unfortunately have less

access to the places and people that need our

help. Right now, we’re seeing humanitarian

workers barred from Syria. In Somalia, the

radical Islamist group al-Shabaab has denied

access to aid groups responding to a

devastating drought that left millions in need of

immediate assistance. What this has done is

make aid organizations more cautious about

sending in their teams, and organizations who

have suffered the loss of a staff member

understandably find it harder to bounce back.

You have had a long career in disaster

preparedness and response. Drawing from

your experiences, which particular disasters or

humanitarian aid environments have been the

most challenging?

Bartolini: I spent nearly two years in Bosnia

responding to the humanitarian needs brought

on by the war. I later responded to the conflict

in Kosovo and the subsequent refugee crisis in

Macedonia and Albania. To me, there’s no

question that complex emergencies caused by

war pose the greatest challenge to the

humanitarian community. As I mentioned

before, over the past few years, we’ve seen

more aid workers be given less access to

conflict areas. The safety and security of

response teams are being increasingly

threatened. Who loses out? Those most in

need. Beyond the challenges brought on by

conflict, there’s also the growing concern of

climate change and how it will impact future

disasters. The number of hydro-meteorological

hazards—like droughts and floods—has spiked

in recent decades, and their frequency is

expected to rise. This will undoubtedly trigger a

new wave of crop failures or water shortages

leading to food insecurity and hunger. What’s

more, all the development gains we’ve made

could be wiped out unless communities are

given the tools and training to be more resilient

to the effects of natural disasters.

Having worked in multiple sectors, how

would you define the roles for government

agencies in disaster and crisis response

compared to those for the private sector and

nongovernmental organization community?

How important is the role of contractors and

grantees from the private and nongovernmental

sectors?

Bartolini: When disaster strikes, everyone—

the federal government, the UN, NGOs and the

private sector—springs into action. While

there’s strength in numbers, an effective

disaster response requires good coordination of

all these players. As the designated U.S.

Government lead for coordinating foreign

disaster assistance, USAID/OFDA plays a key

role in saving lives and getting people back on

their feet. We have a global team of regional

advisors who can get on the ground quickly,

identify the most urgent needs, communicate

with local officials, and help coordinate an

appropriate response. We also have teams of

technical experts, like engineers, doctors and

logisticians, which conduct detailed assess-

ments. USAID/OFDA uses this information to

make informed decisions about what kind of

assistance should go where. This is shared with

donors, UN partners, and NGOs, who then roll

out life-saving programs in the affected

communities. Coordination, which USAID/

OFDA plays a lead role in providing, is crucial

to an effective response. The private sector

can—and does—help us by contributing

innovative ideas, technology, and resources.

When combined with the assistance USAID/

OFDA provides, these contributions make a

significant and lasting difference in the lives of

About OFDA: Mr. Bartolini leads a staff of 250 committed disaster response professionals who are on call 24/7 in fulfillment of their global mandate to save lives,alleviate suffering, and reduce the social and economic impact of international natural disasters and conflict. In fiscal year 2010, OFDA responded to 73 disastersaffecting tens of millions of people in 56 countries and provided more than $974 million for emergency relief and mitigation activities.

Q&A | A Conversation with Mark Bartolini

The U.S. Response toInternational DisasterA Conversation with USAID’s Mark Bartolini

ISOA Editorial Team

Photo:M

arkB

artolini.Credit:U

SA

ID.


21

communities hit hard by crisis. USAID is looking

to identify more public-private partnerships

because they make sense, not only in disaster

response, but in preventing future disasters.

The private sector—especially contractors—can

play an important supporting role in reducing

risks around the globe. Companies can help in

long-term development projects by rebuilding

roads and bridges in Africa, for example, and by

training local people to maintain them. Such

reconstruction activities after a crisis can help

people and communities stand on their own.

What are some lessons learned from past

crises that can be applied to future disaster

relief and humanitarian aid settings?

Bartolini: One of the biggest lessons the

humanitarian community has learned is that it’s

better to lessen the impact of disasters before

they happen. USAID/OFDA, other donors, and

our NGO partners, we’re all trying to build up

and support the intrinsic resilience within

communities, so people are better able to

weather the next crisis that emerges. Helping

local institutions and community groups through

training and improved planning capabilities is

vital. Rebuilding local markets after a flood or

providing African farmers with drought-resistant

seeds are other examples that not only help

communities recover, but such actions also

help people become more resilient to future

disasters. Looking at ways of building resilience

is certainly an emerging trend, and hopefully

this new perspective will help us improve how

we deal with the greatest humanitarian

challenges.

In recent years, the world was witness to 2

devastating earthquakes in 2 very different

places – Haiti and Japan – each with a very

different level of preparedness, and subse-

quently, very different recovery environments.

How important is disaster preparedness and

local capacity building, in addition to disaster

relief? What challenges persist in disaster

preparedness, planning and training?

Bartolini: Disasters are impossible to prevent,

but their impacts can be averted or reduced if

communities are prepared for them. To give

you an example, early warning systems in

Japan helped ensure that more people got out

of harm’s way before the tsunami hit. By taking

a look at the hazards and vulnerabilities in

certain areas, we can help people plan when

and where to build, or rebuild, their homes.

Training is an important component of disaster

preparedness; experience shows that the most

life-saving efforts are usually carried out by the

affected communities, themselves. Here’s an

illustration: training first responders in

earthquake-prone countries will allow them to

begin rescuing trapped people immediately

following a big earthquake. USAID/OFDA

supports community-based programs that build

a local culture of safety and awareness. We

help local leaders develop disaster response

plans and incorporate disaster drills into school

curricula. In addition to saving lives, these kinds

of programs also save money. For every $1

spent on disaster risk reduction efforts,

analyses have shown savings of more than

$20! A number of factors, including rapid

urbanization, more extreme weather patterns,

and population growth can complicate

preparedness operations. But these same

factors also make it vitally important for us to

scale up our efforts on this front.

ISOA member organizations work in conflict,

post conflict, and disaster relief environ-

ments – many times there is overlap in a

particular operating environment. What do you

see as the major differences between working

in areas riddled with conflict, such as Mali, and

those where the main source of turmoil is more

so natural disaster, such as Haiti?

Bartolini: Well, as I said before, I believe that

complex emergencies caused by war provide

the greatest challenge to the humanitarian

community. Conflict makes it harder for

organizations to reach those in need, and the

aid groups working in these areas are at

extreme risk. In addition, when responding to

complex emergencies, we have to take political

considerations into account and constantly

adapt our approaches based on the evolving

situation. As we see in places like Sudan and

Somalia, conflict and the resulting humanitarian

needs can last for generations. Countries

engaged in conflict typically also have limited

ability to provide medical, clean water, or other

basic services to those in need. On the other

hand, natural disasters that occur in non-conflict

areas generally require a shorter response.

While responding to conflict situations presents

One of the biggest lessons the humanitarian com-munity has learned is that it’s better to lessen the

impact of disasters before they happen.

Q&A | A Conversation with Mark BartoliniP

hoto

:Bar

tolin

ivis

iting

asi

tein

Hai

ti.C

redi

t:U

SA

ID



22

a different set of challenges, we have a critical

job to do in both settings. We strive to

overcome those challenges by working with

other relief organizations to come up with

creative and effective ways to reach those who

need our help.

What are some major initiatives OFDA is

planning to work on in the coming year? Are

there inter-office or inter-agency interagency

efforts in the disaster assistance arena in the

planning or implementation stages?

Bartolini: Within the disaster assistance arena,

USAID/OFDA, along with the larger internation-

al community, is committing to a strong focus

on resilience. In many countries, disasters are

fairly predictable. We know when a region is

threatened by a major drought, when a volcano

becomes active, or when a tsunami or storm

surge may hit. But instead of focusing our

efforts on providing relief after a disaster, we’re

working to help communities withstand the

impact of a crisis beforehand. Resilience is built

through a wide range of activities—including

economic growth and development gains—

which is why USAID/OFDA relies on partners in

development and in the private sector to help

communities grow stronger. For our part, we

are working to support disaster risk reduction

activities in regions particularly prone to

hazards like earthquakes, floods, droughts, and

storms. By preventing or reducing the damage

caused by Mother Nature, we’re helping

communities help themselves to be more

resilient to whatever crisis may come next.

Regarding interagency efforts, USAID/OFDA is

making it a priority to strengthen relationships

and communication with our federal partners.

As the U.S. Government’s lead coordinator for

international disaster assistance, we have

agreements with several key agencies to

provide support and services during a disaster.

Our partners include the U.S. Forest Service,

the Coast Guard, and the U.S. Geological

Survey. USAID/OFDA also has a nearly 20-

year relationship with the U.S. Department of

Defense; our humanitarian coordinators are

assigned to Combatant Commands around the

world to provide input and guidance. Recently,

we’ve also begun an effort to further strengthen

interagency relationships by sharing information

before, during, and after disasters. We’re

reaching out to federal stakeholders to learn

about their processes and information needs.

And we’re developing a new training course for

our interagency partners to explain how USAID/

OFDA provides humanitarian assistance.

In the current fiscal environment, foreign

assistance is potentially on the chopping

block. What effect does a tough budget

environment have on OFDA’s planning,

partnerships, and overall effectiveness?

Bartolini: Global trend lines show a clear and

continuing growth in humanitarian needs. The

number of natural disasters has almost doubled

during the last decade compared with previous

decades. Population growth and urbanization

are placing people in places where disasters

are likely to occur. More than ever, millions of

people around the globe are depending on

USAID/OFDA to help them recover from and

prepare for disasters. At the same time, the

entire U.S. Government is tightening its belt.

Tight budgets could require tough decisions

about the number of people we can help and

how much we can help them. In this

environment, we’re working closely with other

donors to ensure we’re coordinating as

effectively as possible. We’re also looking at

bringing on new donors and creating new

partnerships, including with the private sector.

Despite these measures, humanitarian

resources are expected to be stretched very

thin in coming years. As a result, when a new

disaster strikes, USAID/OFDA may need to shift

resources quickly from existing programs.

Regardless of the budget climate, USAID/

OFDA works as efficiently as possible with

taxpayer resources on behalf of the American

people. Last year, we responded to 67

disasters in 54 countries, helping tens of

millions of people. Now, we’re working to

consider new strategies and to bring in new

donors and partners. Because, in spite of these

financial challenges, we at USAID/OFDA are

determined to continue fulfilling our mission:

saving lives, alleviating human suffering, and

reducing the economic and social impacts of

disasters. ■

Resilience is built through a wide range of activities—including economicgrowth and development gains—which is why USAID/OFDA relies on partnersin development and in the private sector to help communities grow stronger.

Q&A | A Conversation with Mark BartoliniP

hoto:Construction

sitein

Haiti.C

redit:US

AID



23

adapt. business development

network

best practiceslessons learned

learn. grow.

partnershipsintelligence

influencemeet

regulatory developments

compliance

strategy

budget

trends

experts

challenges

set the standard

don’t just be part of the conversation...

...be the conversation.The diverse, global community of companies, nongovernmental

organizations, government agencies, and educational institutionsworking in stabilization, reconstruction and development have a voice.

Make sure that voice is heard at the 2012 ISOA Annual Summit.

What will your organization bring to the ISOA Annual Summit?

Expertise? Experience? Innovation?You tell us...

Visit www.stability-operations.org/summit2012.


24

more precise, Boko Haram is a symptom of

multiple rationales characterized by corruption,

mismanagement and unresponsive govern-

ment. Grievances over persistent government

corruption and mismanagement, economic

injustice and poverty especially in the northern

part of Nigeria have been one of the underlying

causes of most sectarian violence in the coun-

try’s history since independence. The Niger

Delta crisis and the Maitatsine crisis of 1980 are

graphic cases in point. Although Nigeria re-

mains one of the largest producers of oil in the

world, about 69% of the population

(approximately 112.6 million people) lives below

the poverty level according to the Nigerian

Poverty Profile Report, 2010. The north-west

and north-east geo-political zones of Nigeria,

the home region and bastion of Boko Haram,

are the areas with the highest poverty rates with

77.7% and 76.3% respectively. For several

decades, the northern part of Nigeria has re-

mained impoverished and underdeveloped with

a very high rate of youth unemployment, ex-

treme poverty, poor health care, poor educa-

tional facilities and poor infrastructure. The

unemployment statistics from the Nigerian

Bureau of Statistics in 2010, for example,

showed that the northern states of Yobe, Zam-

fara and Sokoto remain the areas with the

highest rate of unemployment with 39.0%,

33.4%, and 32.4% respectively. This contrasts

sharply with the southern states such as Lagos,

Oyo and Ogun which have an unemployment

rate of 7.6%, 8.8% and 9.9% respectively.

Thus, development in the northern part of Nige-

ria is a sharp contrast to that of the south.

According to adherents of Boko Haram, bad

governance and acute corruption by the political

elites account for this economic injustice and

underdevelopment. They attribute this political

canker on the influence of modernization and

western education on those who govern the

states. The group’s ambitions, therefore, are to

mobilize against modern state formation and

government establishment, which is seen as

the root cause of all these social ills, and estab-

lish an Islamic state governed by the Sharia

Law. Another major factor fuelling the violence

Kwesi Aning is the Dean & Director of the Faculty of Research and Academic Affairs, whiles Festus Aubyn is a Research Fellow at the Kofi Annan InternationalPeacekeeping Training Centre, Accra, Ghana.

Global Perspectives: Boko Haram

Confronting the Boko HaramChallenge to the Nigeria StateExploring Options for a Peaceful Settlement

Kwesi Aning

Photo:M

osquein

Abuja

Nigeria.C

redit:Kipp

Jones.Credit:U

SA

ID

THE burgeoning insecurity in Nigeria caused by the violent activities of Boko Haram has

raised both domestic and international apprehension about the stability of Africa’s most

populous country and the West African sub-region as a whole. Since the resurgent insur-

rection of Boko Haram in 2009, the Nigerian government has adopted multiple but varied security-

driven strategies and tactics in an effort to deal with the situation. These have included the use of

force and the stationing of large numbers of military and police officers in the northern states affected

by the crises as well as the recent call on the group by the President, Goodluck Jonathan, for dia-

logue. However, these conflict response initiatives, have escalated the violence instead of resolving

the problem, hampering any chances of a negotiated settlement and peace. Several questions can

be raised: Why have these conflict-response strategies not achieved any far-reaching results? What

are the fundamental causes of this problem and why have these security-driven approaches and

tactics failed to address it? Is it because of a deficit in the understanding of the situation particularly

by the Nigerian government or incompetence on the part of the Nigerian security agencies? What are

the prospects for the success of the president's recent appeal to Boko Haram for dialogue? And

finally, what are the options for a negotiated solution to this mounting security conundrum? As the

search for a long-term sustainable solution continues, this article attempts to answer these critical

questions by offering a possible way forward in tackling the problem.

Understanding the Boko Haram enigma

Many analyses about the Boko Haram and its splinter factions limit its root causes to issues of reli-

gious fundamentalism and fanaticism. However, it is instructive to note that the reasons underlying

the crises go far beyond issues of ideological radicalism. The most viable explanation for the insur-

gency, including religious and sectarian violence, is the failure of good governance in Nigeria. To be


25

is the indiscriminate imprisonments and arbi-

trary killing of Boko Haram members by the

police and military and the failure of the Nigeri-

an government to prosecute security officers

implicated for the extrajudicial killings. Ever

since the insurgency began, no single police

and military officer has so far been held ac-

countable or convicted for the death of Boko

Haram leader, Mohammed Yusuf, who died in

police custody, and the other unlawful killings

reported by groups such as Amnesty Interna-

tional and Human Right Watch. In reaction to

the so called injustice meted out to them by the

state, members of the Islamic sect have vowed

to revenge the killing of their members, espe-

cially Mohammed Yusuf, which they now seem

to be honoring with the increasingly lethal at-

tacks on security forces and government au-

thorities.

Boko Haram’s attack on Christians also reflects

the longstanding political, ethnic and religious

divisions in Nigeria. There is a long history of

polarization between the majority-Muslim north

and the majority-Christian south, mainly over

issues of economic inequalities and political

power struggle. Many southerners, for example,

see the ongoing attacks on Christians as a

deliberate attempt by some northern elites to

make the country ungovernable for President

Goodluck Jonathan, because he ignored an

informal power-rotation agreement that should

have kept a Muslim as president after the death

of Muslim President, Umar Musa Yar'dua in

2010. Others have also cited economic inequal-

ities between north and south as the factor

accounting for the ongoing crises. For instance,

the disparities in terms of economic develop-

ment between the north and the rest of the

country especially the south is very wide to the

extent that while about 72% of people in the

north live in abject poverty, in the south it is only

27% of the population.

Assessing the Federal Government’s

Responses

The response by the federal government has to

some extent been inadequate and reactionary

without tackling the root causes of the conflicts.

Since the beginning of the crises, the federal

government has engaged in a fierce battle with

Boko Haram and maintained heavy police and

military presence in Borno, Kano, Kaduna, Jos

and other neighboring states in an attempt to

obliterate and extirpate Boko Haram. Curfews

have also been imposed in the areas consid-

ered as flash points of the insurgency, such as

Yobe, Borno, Plateau and Niger state, to control

and prevent the activities of the Islamic sect.

However, the use of a heavy-handed military

approach has compounded the problem without

any meaningful results. The crisis continues to

aggravate with many sporadic attacks causing

more deaths and destruction of property. More

significantly, the failure to end the insurgency

has exposed the operational constraints of the

Nigerian security services, further raising ques-

tions regarding the ability of the government to

respond to the threat. Consequently, there

appears to be no end in sight for the deadly

attacks orchestrated by Boko Haram as the

group continues to cause more casualties and

increase in lethality in its assault. Unquestiona-

bly, the use of heavy-handed tactics and the

over-reliance on it has hindered any chances of

a negotiated settlement and peace because it is

not addressing the underlying grievances fuel-

ling the crises.

Moreover, although there have been some

attempts in the past to engage in dialogue with

the Islamic sect, it has not yielded any success

due to lack of political will on the part of the

federal government. Past mediation efforts by

President Olusegun Obasanjo with the Islamic

sect, for instance, stalled when one of Boko

Haram’s interlocutors was killed by the military

shortly after the meeting. Besides, President

Goodluck Jonathan has also recently chal-

lenged Boko Haram to come forward and state

their demands as a basis for dialogue although

their demands are well known publicly. But

what remains to be seen is whether Boko Ha-

ram will respond to the President’s request.

Presently, members of the Islamic sect remain

highly suspicious of the government’s offer to

discuss their grievances because of the

‘betrayals’ characterized by past experiences.

Some have also called on the federal govern-

ment for unconditional release of all of their

members detained in the various prisons across

the country before they can accept any dia-

logue. But will this be feasible? What other

options can the federal government explore to

resolve the growing insecurity?

Exploring Options for a Peaceful Settlement

and the Way Forward

It is important to note that Boko Haram will not

fade away completely until the government

tackles the root causes of the problem. As

noted by Professor Ibrahim Gambari, the United

Nation Under Secretary-General, the govern-

ment needs to get to the root cause of the Boko

Haram problem and deploy the right mecha-

nism to tackle it just like it did with the Niger

Delta crisis and similar crises in the past. Thus

resolving the crises will demand a constructive

dialogue involving all actors in the crises and a

It is important to note that Boko Haram will notfade away completely until the government tackles

the root causes of the problem.

Global Perspectives: Boko HaramP

hoto

:Nig

eria

nch

ild.C

redi

t:Je

rem

yW

eate



26

THE far eastern provinces of the

Democratic Republic of the Congo,

mainly South Kivu, North Kivu and

Ituri, have been suffering from various forms of

sustained armed violence since the first military

incursions from Uganda and Rwanda in 1996.

The catastrophic human impact of these sixteen

years of lawlessness, pillage and attacks on

civilians has been described in great detail by

different organizations, including the seminal

work by the International Committee on

Migration.

Since early April 2012, fighting among armed

and uniformed elements of the official army

(FARDC), mutinous units calling themselves M-

23, and the long standing forest militias such as

the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of

Rwanda (FDLR) and the Mai-Mai indigenous

patriotic forces has escalated considerably.

Indeed, there are so many different elements

involved, with as many different agendas, that it

is difficult to analyze the situation without a

scorecard. The major initial result of this fighting

is the rapid growth of displaced refugees, both

inside the eastern Congo and the neighboring

countries of Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda.

Approximately 200,000 people have fled their

homes since April 2012.

The main protagonists this time are the official

Congolese army, the FARDC, and a band of

mutinous rebels who call themselves the March

23 movement, or M23. Before 2009, these

same mutineers were grouped together in a

rebel movement fighting to protect the

Congolese people of Rwanda-Burundi origin

residing in the eastern provinces. At that time,

the rebels were part of an opposition movement

known as CNDP, or National Democratic Party

of the Congo.

In March 2009, in a peace deal brokered by the

Government of Rwanda, the CNDP rebels were

integrated into the official Congolese Army,

based in the Kivu provinces. The former rebels

remained segregated in their own units, and like

other units of the official military, they carved

out their own territorial control of artisanal

mineral deposits that were pillaged and

exported via neighboring countries. Exactions

upon the indigenous villagers by both the

regular army and the ex-rebels were horren-

dous, and continue to be that way.

The head of the integrated rebel military

contingent has been General Jean Bosco

Ntaganda, a member of the Tutsi ethnic group.

During 2011, General Ntaganda came under

indictment by the International Criminal Court in

The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity.

The main count against him is the recruitment

and deployment of child soldiers.

When the indictment came down, the

government of President Joseph Kabila said

that it would not send General Ntaganda to The

Hague for trial, but would try him in the Congo.

Nevertheless, until April 2012, the Congolese

government made no effort to apprehend him.

Indeed, General Ntaganda was seen in public

in many Kivu towns apparently unafraid of

being arrested.

Everything changed in April 2012 when the

official army was ordered to arrest Ntaganda.

The General broke away from his troops, taking

a number with him as mutineers, and fled into

the bush to fight apprehension. In May,

additional military in the former rebel units

decided to mutiny on the basis of grievances

linked to pay, working conditions and

promotions. These mutineers call themselves

the “March 23 Movement”, related to the date in

2009 when they were integrated into the regular

Congolese Army.

Since April, heavy fighting has been going on

as the regular army continues to pursue the

mutineers. At the time of this writing in June

2012, the army had the rebels bottled up in the

Virunga National Park, the home of half the

world’s mountain gorillas. To complicate

matters even further, defectors from the M-23

have presented themselves to the UN

stabilization force in the Congo (MONUSCO) as

Rwandan citizens who had been press ganged

into uniforms, given weapons and some

Ambassador Cohen is a former Assistant Secretary of State for Africa and is President of Cohen & Woods International.

Global Perspectives: DRC

Escalating Violence in theEastern DRCPolitical Dimensions May be Shifting

Herman J. Cohen

Photo:C

ongoleseA

rmy.C

redit:U

SA

rmy,A

frica


27

training, and told to go across the border into

the Congo to fight with the rebels.

The UN information about the defectors, who

claim to have been sent to fight in the Congo by

the Rwandan authorities, was made public in

the form of a leak. The Rwandan government

has denied any involvement in the Congo’s

internal affair. In other words, if Rwandan

fighters haVE gone across the border into the

Congo to support the M-23 mutineers, the

government had nothing to do with it.

Toward mid-June, the Congolese government

became increasingly strident in its accusations

against the Rwandan regime for sending both

fighters and arms to the M-23 movement, or at

least for being passive as Rwandan fighters

crossed the border to help the M-23. It is clear

that DRC-Rwandan relations had begun to sour

after several years of cordial ties.

What is behind all of this escalating military

action? The official army and the former rebel

units that were integrated, but operating on their

own, had been getting along fine. Each had its

territory for the pillaging of minerals and the

predatory harassment of civilians.

It appears that the international donor

community is becoming tired of supporting the

Congolese government with lots of money while

the mineral rich eastern Congo remains a no-

mans land where the civilians are under

tremendous stress from predatory armies and

militias. The donors have apparently read the

riot act to Kabila and told him that his

government could not be considered legitimate

as long as the military were out of control in the

east, and such a large percentage of the

Congolese population was at risk.

The United States government has expressed

concern about the violence, and has particularly

expressed concern about reports of external

support coming from neighboring countries.

Unlike the Congolese government, however,

the United States government has not yet

accused Rwanda of providing arms to the

rebels. On the other hand, the United States

Government has not taken its traditional line of

pre-emptive exoneration of the Rwandan

government. The US-Rwandan relationship

appears to be less of a love-in than in the past.

The bloom is apparently off the Rwandan rose.

If the Congolese army can pull off a liberation of

the eastern Congo from the predatory rebels

and militias of all stripes, it would constitute a

tremendous victory for humanitarian principles,

and would restore DRC sovereignty to a very

valuable piece of territory. Within the Kivu

provinces, the population is torn. The

indigenous ethnic groups want peace

desperately, and want Kabila to achieve it for

them. On the one hand, the Kivu populations of

Rwanda and Burundi origin, who may now

constitute a majority, fear for their security in

the event that protection from their co-ethnic

rebels disappears. On the other hand, as long

as the fighting and instability continue, ethnic

hatred will continue to mount, making an

eventual political solution less feasible.

A politico-diplomatic solution should be

possible, involving the opening of borders

between the eastern Congo and Rwanda,

Uganda, Burundi and Tanzania, the free

movement of peoples and traders, and the

creation of free trade corridors. Unless the

“oneness” of the peoples on both sides of

the border is recognized in political terms,

violence is likely to continue to be part of the

daily scene. ■

Unless the “oneness” of the peoples on both sides of the border is recognizedin political terms, violence is likely to continue to be part of the daily scene.

Global Perspectives: DRC

swift socio-economic response to deal with the

root causes of the problem which lie at the

heart of the Nigerian political system. There is

the need to urgently address the issues of

unemployment, education, health and infra-

structural development in the country instead

of the over reliance on a military approach that

only detracts from policy actions needed to

deal with the underlying issues. Furthermore,

the federal government needs to address the

social inequalities, government corruption,

weak institutions of governance and the devel-

opment gap between the north and south of

the country. Reconciliation between Christians

and Muslims will also need to be fostered to

ensure peaceful co-existence. Religious Asso-

ciations and Muslim leaders as well as Chris-

tian leaders in the country can lead in these

efforts.

But while recognizing that most of these inter-

ventions will demand a long-term approach, it

is critical that in the short-term, the federal

government musters the courage and political

will to prosecute members of the police or

military implicated in extrajudicial killings and

any government official indicted as a supporter

or accomplice to the group. Boko Haram’s

quest for the imposition of Sharia law in north-

ern Nigeria is unrealistic at this point in time.

However, in order to convince and engender

the trust and confidence of the group to come

to the negotiation table, the government should

reach an agreement with the group to release

some of their members as a basis for dialogue

to begin. Families of innocent victims and Boko

Haram members killed in security operations

should also be adequately compensated to

boost confidence in the dialogue process.

Lastly, the Economic Community of West

African States (ECOWAS) also needs to break

its ‘silence’ to the growing insecurity in Nigeria

and engage in mediation efforts to bring an

end to the crisis. ■

For references and additional information, visit

peaceops.com.


Confronting the Boko Haram Challenge to the Nigeria State


28

Agility Brussels Earns Authorized��ϐ��Ǥ�Agility also received two prestig-ious Awards in Dubai.

Air Charter Service Erik Lindberghjoins as Brand Ambassador.

BAE Systems selected to lead themanagement of the UK Ministry ofDefence's Defence Human Capabil-ity Science & Technology Centre.Awarded a contract to provide forthe maintenance services for Armyvessels.

CH2M Hill-led consortium winscombined cycle power plant projectin Australia.

Chapman Freeborn wins Air CargoCharter Broker of the Year for thesixth year running.

Crowell & Moring receives MCAA’SWestern Region “Thomas L. SagerAward” for Commitment to Diversi-ty. Attorneys ranked 45 by Cham-bers USA and 18 Leading Practicesamong Best in US.

DLA Piper recognized as Interna-tional Franchise Law Firm of Yearfor eighth consecutive year.

Dyncorp International earnedChampions Of Veteran EnterpriseAward and Awarded Contract toProvide Support Services for T-6Aircraft.

Fluor completes Polysilicon Plantin China for LDF Solar.

GardaWorld establishes “Train theTrainers” Program in Kurdistan.

Global Fleet Sales partners AIDFAsia-��ϐ��Ǥ

IRD Community Outreach andCapacity Building ApproachHighlighted at USAID Summit.

Mission Essential Personnelnamed Top Language Company forSecond Year.

Pax Mondial mine action andtraining subsidiary, MAT Mondial,achieves ISO 14001.

Sallyport receives PSC LicenseExtension under new PSC rules inIraq.

SOC announces George R. Gram as��ϐ�� ̵ ��Hawthorne Division.

Steptoe recommended in Legal 500Europe, Middle East & Africa 2012.Received “Above and Beyond”Award for Support of the NationalGuard and Reserve.

Triple Canopy funds Women’s SelfDefense Training.

URS to provide constructionservices for Aegis Ashore MissileDefense Program.

MEMBER JOB POSTINGS

Visit the Careers with ISOA Memberspage on the ISOA website to find thecareer pages at ISOA Member organiza-tions.

Current Job Postings:

BAE Systems, Inc.

Mission EssentialPersonnel

SCN Resources Group—specializing in delivering missioncritical human resource solutionsto companies operating in the con-tingency and stability operationsindustry globally

ISOA invites ISOA Members to sendus news for the Member News Board at

[email protected].

MemberNews BoardISOA Member News fromMay-June 2012


29

The ISOA Membership

The International Stability Operations Association

Armored Vehicles

Aviation Logisticsand Maintenance

Aviation: Rotary

Base Supportand Logistics

Construction

ConsultingServices

Demining andUXO Removal

Equipment

Ground Transportationand Logistics

Human Developmentand Capacity Building

InformationTechnology

Intelligence Servicesand Analysis

Legal, Accounting andCompliance Services

Logistics, Freightand Supply

Medical SupportServices

Product Suppliersand Manufacturers

Risk Management

Security

Security SectorReform

Shelter

Communications andTracking

Fleet Management,Leasing & Maintenance

Language Servicesand Interpretation

Recruitment andHuman Resources

Training

The International Stability Operations Association is proud to have a multisectoral membership that represents the various aspects of operations performed

in conflict, post-conflict, disaster relief and reconstruction efforts. The Membership Directory provides a visualization of the different roles that our member

organizations fulfill in contingency operations by using the icons below to classify each member’s activities.

HQ Location of company headquarters W Website PC ISOA Point-of-Contact/Designated Delegate M Membership approvedAbbreviations

Air Charter Service PLC

HQ Surrey, United Kingdom

W www.aircharter.co.uk

PC Tony Bauckham

M March 2010

AgilityHQ Safat, Kuwait

W www.agilitylogistics.com

PC Richard Brooks

M January 2006

AMECOHQ Greenville, South Carolina

W www.ameco.com

PC Paul Camp

M July 2005

BAE SystemsHQ Rockville, Maryland

W www.baesystems.com

PC Mary Robinson

M October 2010

Burton Rands AssociatesHQ Washington, D.C.

W www.burtonrands.com

PC Nicola Lowther

M December 2008

Crowell & Moring LLP

HQ Washington, D.C.

W www.crowell.com

PC David Hammond

M May 2008

CH2M Hill Inc.HQ Englewood, CO.

W www.ch2m.com

PC Tia L. Hutton

M April 2011

American Glass ProductsHQ Ras Al Khaimah, U.A.E.

W www.agpglass.com

PC Tobias Beutgen

M April 2008

Clements WorldwideHQ Washington, D.C.

W www.clements.com

PC Smita Malik

M November 2011

DLA Piper LLP

HQ London, United Kingdom

W www.dlapiper.com

PC Tara Lee

M January 2009

Chapman FreebornHQ Fort Lauderdale, FL

W www.chapman-freeborn.com

PC Christopher Fisher

M December 2011

ACTCOHQ Dubai, UAE

W www.afghancontainers.com

PC Gaurev Kukreja

M June 2012


30

DynCorp InternationalHQ Falls Church, Virginia

W www.dyn-intl.com

PC William Imbrie

M April 2007

EOD Technology, Inc.HQ Lenoir City, Tennessee

W www.eodt.com

PC Erik Quist

M January 2006

L-3 MPRIHQ Alexandria, Virginia

W www.mpri.com

PC Michael Hess

M January 2003

FSI WorldwideHQ Dubai, U.A.E.

W www.fsi-worldwide.com

PC Nicholas Forster

M May 2008

GardaWorldHQ Dubai, UAE

W www.garda-world.com

PC Peter Dordal

M September 2008

HARTHQ Limassol, Cyprus

W www.hartsecurity.com

PC Graham Kerr

M December 2004

International Armored GroupHQ Ras Al Khaimah, U.A.E.

W www.interarmored.com

PC Sally Stefova

M June 2007

Mission Essential PersonnelHQ Columbus, Ohio

W www.missionep.com

PC [email protected]

M July 2008

Global Integrated Security—USAHQ Reston, VA

W www.globalgroup-gis.com

PC Tom Marchegiano

M April 2011

Olive GroupHQ Dubai, U.A.E.

W www.olivegroup.com

PC Matt Fey

M December 2005

KGL HoldingHQ Safat, Kuwait

W www.kgl.com

PC Scott Beverly

M July 2011

New Century U.S.HQ Arlington, Virginia

W www.newcentcorp.com

PC Scott Jacobs

M July 2008

International Relief & DevelopmentHQ Arlington, Virginia

W www.ird.org

PC Jeffrey Grieco

M October 2010

G4SHQ Arlington, Virginia

W www.armorgroup.com

PC Phil Rudder

M August 2003

OnSite OHS, Inc.HQ Princeton, Indiana

W www.onsiteohs.com

PC Michelle Prinzing

M October 2011

GreySide GroupHQ Herndon, Virginia

W www.greysidegroup.com

PC Alex Popovic

M February, 2012

Fluor CorporationHQ Irving, Texas

W www.fluor.com

PC Howie Lind

M February 2012

OSPREA LogisticsHQ Cape Town, South Africa

W www.osprea.com

PC Salih Brandt

M August 2010

International Defense TechnologiesHQ Marlton, NJ

W www.internationaldefense.com

PC Elizabeth Piñero-Doyle

M April 2012

Frank Crystal & CompanyHQ Washington, D.C.

W www.fcrystal.com

PC Jeffrey Wingate

M July 2010

Global Fleet SalesHQ Bankok, Thailand

W www.globalfleetsales.net

PC Nicholas Ling

M June 2009

ISOA Membership Directory


31

Interested in ISOA Membership?

Contact ISOA to find out about our exclusive membership benefits including:

Access to members-only community Discounts on all ISOA advertising

Partnership discounts for industry events Exclusive member-only publications and intel

Contact [email protected] for more information

Participation on ISOA Committees and Working Groups

ISOA Membership Directory

OSSI, Inc.HQ Miami, Florida

W www.ossiinc.com

PC John Walbridge

M October 2005

SOS International Ltd.

HQ Reston, Virginia

W www.sosiltd.com

PC Michael K. Seidl

M November 2007

Reed Inc.

HQ Leesburg, Virginia

W www.reedinc.com

PC Marius van der Riet

M April 2006

RelyantHQ Maryville, Tennessee

W www.gorelyant.com

PC Susan Lynch

M April 2009

Shield International SecurityHQ Seoul, South Korea

W www.shieldconsulting.co.kr

PC Lucy Park

M April 2010

SCN Resources Group, Inc.HQ Alexandria, Virginia

W www.securitycontracting.net

PC Jake Allen

M July 2011

SOC, LLC

HQ Chantilly, Virginia

W www.soc-usa.com

PC Derek Johnson

M September 2009

SallyportHQ Bridgeville, Pennsylvania

W www.sallyportglobal.com

PC Doug Magee

M August 2011

Telum Protection CorpHQ Southern Pines, N. Carolina

W www.telumcorp.com

PC Alfredo Quiros

M September 2010

Triple CanopyHQ Reston, Virginia

W www.triplecanopy.com

PC Mark DeWitt

M July 2008

URSHQ Germantown, Maryland

W www.urs.com

PC Robie Robinson

M April 2009

Steptoe & Johnson LLP

HQ Washington, DC

W www.steptoe.com

PC Stephen Heifetz

M September 2011

Unity Resources GroupHQ Dubai, U.A.E.

W www.unityresourcesgroup.com

PC Jim LeBlanc

M December 2006

SupplyCoreHQ Rockford, IL

W www.supplycore.com

PC Mike Paul

M March 2012

Overseas Lease GroupHQ Fort Lauderdale, Florida

W www.overseasleasegroup.com

PC Tracy Badcock

M February 2008

Pax MondialHQ Arlington, Virginia

W www.paxmondial.com

PC Paul Wood

M January 2009

PAE, Inc.HQ Arlington, Virginia

W www.paegroup.com

PC Thomas Callahan

M October 2010

Pricewaterhouse CoopersHQ McLean, VA

W www.pwc.com

PC Marissa Michel

M May 2012

Principal Risk SolutionsHQ Cardiff, United Kingdom

W www.principalrisksolutions.com

PC Simon Webb

M April 2012


32

Photo

:IS

AFM

ED

IA

BUILDING PARTNERSHIPSworldwide

engaging partners globally for stability, peace

Documents