Double Tap
04-08-2004, 11:13 PM
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The Canadian military is concerned about a growing number of elite soldiers in the Joint Task Force Two unit who are leaving the Canadian Forces for more lucrative work in private security.
The JTF 2 unit is a highly-trained Special Operations Forces unit that performs counterterrorist missions, hostage rescue operations, and other work in response to national security threats. The unit played a key role in operations last year in Afghanistan.
Their work is highly secretive, so much so that the Canadian Forces won't even divulge how many JTF 2 recruits it has. But it would appear their numbers are dwindling.
With the U.S.-led coalition busy with gaining control over insurgency in Iraq, the Pentagon has contracted out the jobs of guarding key installations and training a new Iraqi army to private security companies. The work is plentiful and security companies are in continual need of well-trained bodyguards and security workers.
Hundreds of former special operations soldiers from Britain and the United States have answered the call. Now, many of the JTF 2 team have left the Forces to work for the civilian teams, as well.
It's not hard to see why. Private security work in Iraq can be highly lucrative, offering guards compensation of up to $1,000 a day.
"If you can get three times your annual salary in half the time, you are going to take it," explains Alan Bell, of Global Security Risk.
A former British special ops member, Bell runs a security outfit that receives up to eight resumes a day, some from Canada's JTF 2 squad. Bell believes that at least 12 to 15 members of JTF 2 have been " actively recruited by some of the organizations providing manpower in Iraq."
The military admits that over the last four years, 15 per cent of the JTF 2 soldiers have left the Forces altogether.
The defections mean more recruiting for the forces and a loss on their training investment.
"Some of these guys are learning their skills over a five to 10-year period, so that expertise is hard to replace," says journalist David Pugliese, the author of Canada's Secret Commandos: The Unauthorized Story of Joint Task Force Two.
So, in order to stem the loss of these highly trained soldiers, the military is taking action. It's considering raising pay beyond the current annual salary of $60,000, plus $1,200 a month in danger allowance.
"We recognize that private security firms have highly attractive packages for highly skilled members, like JTF 2," said Navy Lt. Kent Penney of the Department of National Defence.
"But beyond money issue, we're also looking at the other factors."
Those other factors include job security, and appealing to the soldiers' sense of patriotism, reminding them that the satisfaction that comes from serving one's country is something that private security firms simply will never offer.
http://www.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/images/20040408/jtf2_040408/160_JTF1_20040408.jpg
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1081475935368_13/?hub=TopStories
The Canadian military is concerned about a growing number of elite soldiers in the Joint Task Force Two unit who are leaving the Canadian Forces for more lucrative work in private security.
The JTF 2 unit is a highly-trained Special Operations Forces unit that performs counterterrorist missions, hostage rescue operations, and other work in response to national security threats. The unit played a key role in operations last year in Afghanistan.
Their work is highly secretive, so much so that the Canadian Forces won't even divulge how many JTF 2 recruits it has. But it would appear their numbers are dwindling.
With the U.S.-led coalition busy with gaining control over insurgency in Iraq, the Pentagon has contracted out the jobs of guarding key installations and training a new Iraqi army to private security companies. The work is plentiful and security companies are in continual need of well-trained bodyguards and security workers.
Hundreds of former special operations soldiers from Britain and the United States have answered the call. Now, many of the JTF 2 team have left the Forces to work for the civilian teams, as well.
It's not hard to see why. Private security work in Iraq can be highly lucrative, offering guards compensation of up to $1,000 a day.
"If you can get three times your annual salary in half the time, you are going to take it," explains Alan Bell, of Global Security Risk.
A former British special ops member, Bell runs a security outfit that receives up to eight resumes a day, some from Canada's JTF 2 squad. Bell believes that at least 12 to 15 members of JTF 2 have been " actively recruited by some of the organizations providing manpower in Iraq."
The military admits that over the last four years, 15 per cent of the JTF 2 soldiers have left the Forces altogether.
The defections mean more recruiting for the forces and a loss on their training investment.
"Some of these guys are learning their skills over a five to 10-year period, so that expertise is hard to replace," says journalist David Pugliese, the author of Canada's Secret Commandos: The Unauthorized Story of Joint Task Force Two.
So, in order to stem the loss of these highly trained soldiers, the military is taking action. It's considering raising pay beyond the current annual salary of $60,000, plus $1,200 a month in danger allowance.
"We recognize that private security firms have highly attractive packages for highly skilled members, like JTF 2," said Navy Lt. Kent Penney of the Department of National Defence.
"But beyond money issue, we're also looking at the other factors."
Those other factors include job security, and appealing to the soldiers' sense of patriotism, reminding them that the satisfaction that comes from serving one's country is something that private security firms simply will never offer.