"These are not the droids we’re looking for . . ." Part II.

The Obama Administration continues to profess a commitment not to put US Military “boots on the ground” in response to the crisis in Iraq in Syria.  As far as we know the administration is respecting that line.  At the same time, there seems to be more going on than meets the eye.

As we wrote a couple of weeks back in “These are not the droids you’re looking for,” to understand what is unfolding, watch the logistics. Thirty days ago the Administration may not have had a strategy, but it sure looks like the military was developing options.

On September 7, Stars and Stripes published an interesting article, “In place of 'boots on the ground,' US seeks contractors for Iraq.”  They cite a posting on a US Army Contracting Command website gauging contractor interest in performing services “in a range of capacities, including force development, logistics and planning and operations.”

As the President said, anything we are contemplating “will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil.”

Here’s the Sources Sought notice.  The Army asked for responses in a hurry, within two weeks of first posting the notice.

Reminds me of late 2006, when there was a ton of debate going on about “the Surge.”  I’m civilian, and I distinctly remember going on contract with DoD in the fall of 2006, and before Christmas of that year I had already been on the ground in Iskandariyah, Fallujah, and Ramadi.

Move along folks, nothing to see here.