Neel Mehta
The Congressional Research Service says there are 108,000 U.S.-paid contractors providing military support in Afghanistan, outnumbering the 65,700 uniformed troops on the ground, Nextgov reported Thursday.
Bob Brewin writes CRS said in a report that the Pentagon spent $159.6 billion between 2007 and 2012 on contracting services in Iraq and Afghanistan.
CRS recommended the Pentagon develop strategies for determining the right mix of civilian, military and contractor personnel as well as their functions, Brewin reports.
Pentagon spending on contractors reached $195 billion in 2010, nearly double levels recorded in 2001, according to a Government Accountability Office report issued Wednesday.
Brewin reports contractors Afghanistan provide intelligence analysis, private security, transportation, construction and base support services to the military.
