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Department of Defense Contractor and Troop Levels in Afghanistan and Iraq: 2007-2020

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Department of Defense Contractor and Troop Levels in Iraq and Afghanistan: 2007-2015

2016
December 1, 2015August 15, 2016 (R44116)

Introduction

This report provides background information for Congress on the levels of Department of Defense (DOD) troop and contractor personnel deployed in support of prior and ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. For more information on DOD's use of contractor personnel to support military operations, see CRS Report R43074, Department of Defense's Use of Contractors to Support Military Operations: Background, Analysis, and Issues for Congress, by [author name scrubbed].

The Role of Contractors in Military Operations

Throughout its history, DOD has relied on contractors to support a wide range of military operations. Operations over the past 30 years have highlighted the critical role that contractors play in supporting U.S. troops—both in terms of the number of contractors and the type of work being performed. Over the last decade in Iraq and Afghanistan, and before that, in the BalkansDuring recent U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, contractors frequently averaged 50% or more of the total DOD presence in-country.

Definitions: Defense Contractors and Operational Contract Support

DOD defines a defense contractor as "any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, or other legal non-federal entity that enters into a contract directly with the DOD to furnish services, supplies, or construction1."."1 Operational contract support, or the process of planning for and obtaining goods and services from commercial sources, is the main term used in DOD doctrine to describe the use of defense contractors to support military operations.2. This report uses contractor to describe individual service contractors and subcontractors, hired by prime contractors under DOD-funded contracts. These individuals may provide a wide range of services to the DOD, from transportation, construction, and base support, to intelligence analysis, translation/interpretation, and private security support.

As of June 2015March 2016, there were almost 29,000approximately 28,600 DOD contractor personnel in Afghanistan, compared to 9,0608,730 U.S. troops, with contract personnel representing approximately 7677% of the total DOD presence (see Table 1) in country.3 Of the 29,00028,600 DOD contractor personnel, approximately 1,800870, or about 63%, were private security contractors (see Table 2).

DOD ceased publicly reporting numbers of DOD contractor personnel working in Iraq in December 2013, following the conclusion of the U.S. combat mission, and the subsequent drawdown of DOD contractor personnel levels in Iraq. In late 2014, in response in part to developing operations in the region, DOD reinitiated reporting broad estimates of DOD contractor personnel working in Iraq. DOD resumed reporting exact numbers of contractor personnel in Iraq, as well as primary mission categories for those personnel, asdeployed in Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR). As the number of DOD contractor personnel in Iraq increased over the first six months of 2015, DOD resumed reporting exact numbers and primary mission categories of OIR contractor personnel in June 2015.

As of September 2015July 2016, there were 1,349approximately 2,500 DOD contractor personnel in Iraq, compared with up to 3,550 U.S. troops to a current force management level of 4,087 U.S. troops in Iraq, primarily deployed as part of a U.S.-led coalition advise-and-assist mission in support of the governmentGovernment of Iraq.4 Contract personnel thus represented approximately 3938% of the total estimated DOD presence in-country. From FY2007 to FY2015DOD presence (see Table 3) in-country.4 Of the 1,349 DOD contractor personnel, nearly 90, or about 6%, were private security contractors (see Table 4).

From FY2007 to FY2014, DOD obligations for contracts performed in the greater Iraq and Afghanistan areas of operation were approximately $215.2220 billion in FY2015FY2017 dollars dollars (see Table 5).5

A number of analysts have raised questions about the reliability of the data gathered by DOD regarding the contractors it employs in theater in support of military operations. For a discussion on the reliability of historical data listed belowthe following historical data, see CRS Report R40764, Department of Defense Contractors in Afghanistan and Iraq: Background and Analysis, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed].

U.S. Armed Forces and Contractor Personnel in Afghanistan

Table 1. DOD Troop LevelsU.S. Armed Forces and Contractor Personnel in Afghanistan

(September 2007-September 2015Q4 FY2007-Q3 FY2016)

 

Troop Levels

U.S. Armed Forces

Total Contractors

U.S. NationalsNational Contractors

Foreign and Host Country National Contractors

Sept. 2007

Q4 FY2007

24,500

29,473
24,056

29,473

3,387

26,086

Dec. 2007

Q1 FY2008

24,600

36,520
24,780

36,520

5,153

31,367

Mar. 2008

Q2 FY2008

28,800

52,336

4,220

48,116

June 2008

34,000

41,232

4,724

36,508

Sept. 2008

33,500

68,252

5,405

62,847

Dec. 2008

32,500

71,755

5,960

65,795

Mar. 2009

52,300

68,197

9,378

58,819

June 2009

55,107

73,968

10,036

62,932

Sept. 2009

63,950

104,101

9,322

94,779

Dec. 2009

69,000

107,292

10,016

97,276

Mar. 2010

79,100

112,092

16,081

96,011

June 2010

93,800

107,479

19,103

88,376

Sept. 2010

96,600

70,599

20,874

49,725

Dec. 2010

96,900

87,483

19,381

68,102

Mar. 2011

99,800

90,339

20,413

69,926

June 2011

98,900

93,118

23,294

69,824

Sept. 2011

98,200

101,789

23,190

78,599

Dec. 2011

94,100

113,491

25,287

88,204

Mar. 2012

88,200

117,227

34,765

82,462

June 2012

85,600

113,736

30,568

83,168

Sept. 2012

76,500

109,564

31,814

77,750

Dec. 2012

65,800

110,404

33,444

76,960

Mar. 2013

65,700

107,796

33,107

74,689

June 2013

61,300

101,855

32,442

69,413

Sept. 2013

55,800

85,528

27,188

58,340

Dec. 2013

43,300

78,136,

23,763

54,373

Mar. 2014

33,200

61,452

20,865

40,587

June 2014

31,400

51,489

17,404

34,085

Sept. 2014

27,800

45,349

17,477

27,872

Dec. 2014

10,600

39,609

14,222

25,387

Mar. 2015

9,100

30,820

12,033

18,787

June 2015

9,060

28,931

10,019

18,912

Sept. 2015

Not Yet Available

30,211

10,347

19,864
28,650

52,336

4,220

48,116

Q3 FY2008
33,902

41,232

4,724

36,508

Q4 FY2008

33,450

68,252

5,405

62,847

Q1 FY2009

32,500

71,755

5,960

65,795

Q2 FY2009

38,350

68,197

9,378

58,819

Q3 FY2009

55,100

73,968

10,036

62,932

Q4 FY2009

62,300

104,101

9,322

94,779

Q1 FY2010

69,000

107,292

10,016

97,276

Q2 FY2010

79,100

112,092

16,081

96,011

Q3 FY2010

93,800

107,479

19,103

88,376

Q4 FY2010

96,600

70,599

20,874

49,725

Q1 FY2011

96,900

87,483

19,381

68,102

Q2 FY2011

99,800

90,339

20,413

69,926

Q3 FY2011

98,900

93,118

23,294

69,824

Q4 FY2011

98,200

101,789

23,190

78,599

Q1 FY2012

94,100

113,491

25,287

88,204

Q2 FY2012

88,200

117,227

34,765

82,462

Q3 FY2012

85,600

113,736

30,568

83,168

Q4 FY2012

76,500

109,564

31,814

77,750

Q1 FY2013

65,800

110,404

33,444

76,960

Q2 FY2013

65,700

107,796

33,107

74,689

Q3 FY2013

61,300

101,855

32,442

69,413

Q4 FY2013

55,800

85,528

27,188

58,340

Q1 FY2014

43,300

78,136,

23,763

54,373

Q2 FY2014

33,200

61,452

20,865

40,587

Q3 FY2014

31,400

51,489

17,404

34,085

Q4 FY2014

27,800

45,349

17,477

27,872

Q1 FY2015

10,600

39,609

14,222

25,387

Q2 FY2015

9,100

30,820

12,033

18,787

Q3 FY2015

9,060

28,931

10,019

18,912

Q4 FY2015

9,100

30,211

10,347

19,864

Q1 FY2016

8,930

30,455

10,151

20,304

Q2 FY2016

8,730

28,626

9,640

18,986

Q3 FY2016

Not Yet Available

26,435

8,837

17,598

Sources: Contractor levels drawn from U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) Quarterly Contractor Census Reports; troop levels drawn from "Boots on the Ground" monthly reports to Congress.

Note: DOD did not begin releasing data on contractors in USCENTCOM until the second half of 2007Q4 FY2007.

Table 2. DOD Troop LevelsU.S. Armed Forces and Private Security Contractor Personnel in Afghanistan

(September 2007-September 2015Q2 FY2008-Q3 FY2016)

 

Troop Levels

U.S. Armed Forces

Total Private Security Contractorsa

U.S. National Private Security Contractors

Foreign and Host Country National Private Security Contractors

Sept. 2007

Q2 FY2008

24,500
28,650

6,982
No Data Available

167
No Data Available

6,815
No Data Available

Dec. 2007

Q3 FY2008

24,600
33,902

3,537
No Data Available

5
No Data Available

3,532
No Data Available

Mar. 2008

Q4 FY2008

33,450

3,847

9

3,838

28,800

6,982

167

6,815

June 2008

34,000

3,537

5

3,532

Sept. 2008

Q1 FY2009

32,500

3,689

15

3,674

33,500

3,847

9

3,838

Dec. 2008

32,500

3,689

15

3,674

Mar. 2009

Q2 FY2009

52,300

4,373

17

4,356

June 2009

55,107

5,198

19

5,179

Sept. 2009

63,950

11,423

76

11,347

Dec. 2009

69,000

14,439

114

14,325

Mar. 2010

79,100

16,733

140

16,593

June 2010

93,800

17,932

152

17,780

Sept. 2010

96,600

18,869

197

18,672

Dec. 2010

96,900

18,919

250

18,669

Mar. 2011

99,800

18,971

250

18,721

June 2011

98,900

15,305

693

14,612

Sept. 2011

98,200

21,544

603

20,941

Dec. 2011

94,100

20,375

570

19,805

Mar. 2012

88,200

26,612

519

26,093

June 2012

85,600

28,686

480

28,206

Sept. 2012

76,500

18,914

2,014

16,850

Dec. 2012

65,800

19,414

2,094

17,320

Mar. 2013

65,700

17,993

1,378

16,615

June 2013

61,300

16,218

873

15,345

Sept. 2013

55,800

14,056

844

13,212

Dec. 2013

43,300

11,332

1,007

10,325

Mar. 2014

33,200

5,591

641

4,950

June 2014

31,400

3,177

424

2,753

Sept. 2014

27,800

2,472

252

2,220

Dec. 2014

10,600

1,511

317

1,194

Mar. 2015

9,100

1,525

398

1,127

June 2015

9,060

1,779

421

1,358

Sept. 2015

Not Yet Available

1,655

312

1,343

Sources: Contractor levels drawn from USCENTCOM Quarterly Contractor Census Reports; troop levels drawn from "Boots on the Ground" monthly reports to Congress.

Notes: DOD did not begin releasing data on private security contractor personnel levels within Afghanistan until March 2008.

a. Includes most subcontractors and service contractors, armed and unarmed, hired by prime contractors under DOD contracts.

Table 3. DOD Troop Levels and Contractor Personnel in Iraq

(September 2007-December 2013; December 2014-September 2015)

 

Troop Levels

Total Contractors

U.S. National Contractors

Foreign and Host Country National Contractors

Sept. 2007

169,000

154,825

26,869

127,956

Dec. 2007

165,700

163,591

31,325

132,266

Mar. 2008

160,500

149,378

29,351

120,027

June 2008

153,300

162,428

29,611

132,817

Sept. 2008

146,800

163,446

28,045

135,401

Dec. 2008

148,500

148,050

39,262

108,788

Mar. 2009

141,300

132,610

36,061

96,549

June 2009

134,571

119,706

31,541

88,165

Sept. 2009

130,000

113,731

29,944

83,787

Dec. 2009

114,300

100,035

27,843

72,192

Mar. 2010

95,900

95,461

24,719

70,742

June 2010

88,320

79,621

22,761

56,860

Sept. 2010

48,410

74,106

20,981

53,125

Dec. 2010

47,305

71,142

19,943

51,199

Mar. 2011

45,660

64,253

18,393

45,860

June 2011

46,010

62,689

18,900

43,789

Sept. 2011

44,755

52,637

16,054

36,583

Dec. 2011a

11,445

23,886

11,237

12,649

Mar. 2012a

—

10,967

3,260

7,707

June 2012a

—

7,336

2,493

4,843

Sept. 2012a

—

9,000

2,314

6,686

Dec. 2012a

—

8,449

2,356

6,093

Mar. 2013a

—

7,905

2,125

5,780

June 2013a

—

7,735

1,898

5,837

Sept. 2013a

—

6,624

1,626

4,998

Dec. 2013a

—

3,234

820

2,414

No Data on Contractors Released by USCENTCOM from March 2014-September 2014

Dec. 2014
38,350

4,373

17

4,356

Q3 FY2009
55,100

5,198

19

5,179

Q4 FY2009

62,300

11,423

76

11,347

Q1 FY2010

69,000

14,439

114

14,325

Q2 FY2010

79,100

16,733

140

16,593

Q3 FY2010

93,800

17,932

152

17,780

Q4 FY2010

96,600

18,869

197

18,672

Q1 FY2011

96,900

18,919

250

18,669

Q2 FY2011

99,800

18,971

250

18,721

Q3 FY2011

98,900

15,305

693

14,612

Q4 FY2011

98,200

21,544

603

20,941

Q1 FY2012

94,100

20,375

570

19,805

Q2 FY2012

88,200

26,612

519

26,093

Q3 FY2012

85,600

28,686

480

28,206

Q4 FY2012

76,500

18,914

2,014

16,850

Q1 FY2013

65,800

19,414

2,094

17,320

Q2 FY2013

65,700

17,993

1,378

16,615

Q3 FY2013

61,300

16,218

873

15,345

Q4 FY2013

55,800

14,056

844

13,212

Q1 FY2014

43,300

11,332

1,007

10,325

Q2 FY2014

33,200

5,591

641

4,950

Q3 FY2014

31,400

3,177

424

2,753

Q4 FY2014

27,800

2,472

252

2,220

Q1 FY2015

10,600

1,511

317

1,194

Q2 FY2015

9,100

1,525

398

1,127

Q3 FY2015

9,060

1,779

421

1,358

Q4 FY2015

9,100

1,655

312

1,343

Q1 FY2016

8,930

1,083

176

907

Q2 FY2016

8,730

872

125

747

Q3 FY2016

Not Yet Available

1,022

174

848

Sources: Contractor levels drawn from USCENTCOM Quarterly Contractor Census Reports; force levels drawn from "Boots on the Ground" monthly reports to Congress.

Notes: DOD did not begin releasing data on private security contractor personnel levels within Afghanistan until Q2 FY2008.

a. Includes most subcontractors and service contractors, armed and unarmed, hired by prime contractors under DOD contracts. U.S. Armed Forces and Contractor Personnel in Iraq Table 3. U.S. Armed Forces and Contractor Personnel in Iraq

(Q4 F72007-Q1 FY2014; Q1 FY2015-Q3 FY2016)

 

U.S. Armed Forces

Total Contractors

U.S. National Contractors

Foreign and Host Country National Contractors

Q4 FY2007

165,607

154,825

26,869

127,956

Q1 FY2008

161,783

163,591

31,325

132,266

Q2 FY2008

159,700

149,378

29,351

120,027

Q3 FY2008

153,300

162,428

29,611

132,817

Q4 FY2008

146,900

163,446

28,045

135,401

Q1 FY2009

148,500

148,050

39,262

108,788

Q2 FY2009

141,300

132,610

36,061

96,549

Q3 FY2009

134,500

119,706

31,541

88,165

Q4 FY2009

129,200

113,731

29,944

83,787

Q1 FY2010

114,300

100,035

27,843

72,192

Q2 FY2010

95,900

95,461

24,719

70,742

Q3 FY2010

88,320

79,621

22,761

56,860

Q4 FY2010

48,410

74,106

20,981

53,125

Q1 FY2011

47,305

71,142

19,943

51,199

Q2 FY2011

45,660

64,253

18,393

45,860

Q3 FY2011

46,010

62,689

18,900

43,789

Q4 FY2011

44,755

52,637

16,054

36,583

Q1 FY2012

11,445

23,886a

11,237

12,649

Q2 FY2012

—

10,967a

3,260

7,707

Q3 FY2012

—

7,336a

2,493

4,843

Q4 FY2012

—

9,000a

2,314

6,686

Q1 FY2013

—

8,449a

2,356

6,093

Q2 FY2013

—

7,905a

2,125

5,780

Q3 FY2013

—

7,735a

1,898

5,837

Q4 FY2013

—

6,624a

1,626

4,998

Q1 FY2014

—

3,234a

820

2,414
 

No Data on Contractors Released by USCENTCOM from Q2 FY2014-Q4 FY2014

 

Q1 FY2015

Up to 3,100b

250 (est.)

Up to 3,100b
250 (est.)c

No Data Available

No Data Available

Mar. 2015Q2 FY2015

Up to 3,100b

600 (est.)d

No Data Available

No Data Available

June 2015

Q3 FY2015

Up to 3,550ec

1,349f

1,140

209

Sept. 2015

Q4 FY2015

Up to 3,550ec

1,403g

1,098

Up to 3,550d

305

Q1 FY2016
2,028

1,392

636

Q2 FY2016

Up to 3,550d

2,619

1,564

1,055

Q3 FY2016

Up to 4,087e

2,485

1,605

880
Sources: Force levels from Q4 FY2007 to Q1FY2012

Sources: Troop levels from September 2007-December 2013 are drawn from the DOD's "Boots on the Ground" monthly reports to Congress. Total troopForce levels for December 2014-September 2015Q1FY2015-Q2FY2016 are drawn from the White House's semiannual "War Powers Resolution Report" to Congress. All listed contractor levels are drawn from USCENTCOM Quarterly Contractor Census Reports.

Notes: DOD did not begin releasing data on contractors in USCENTCOM until the second half of 2007, and initially ceased reporting data on DOD contractor personnel in Iraq in December 2013. Following the conclusion of the U.S. combat mission in Iraq, the "Boots on the Ground" monthly reports ceased providing separate troopforce levels for Iraq. However, a residual U.S. force remained in county to provide embassy security and security cooperation assistance. Beginning in June 2014, in response to the military operations of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (also known as ISIS/ISIL), additional U.S. military personnel were deployed to Iraq through Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR)OIR to advise and train Iraqi forces, serve as observers, and secure U.S. personnel and facilities. For further discussion of the U.S. and its coalition partners' efforts to combat the Islamic State, see CRS Report R43612, The Islamic State and U.S. Policy, by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed] In December 2014, and CRS Report R44135, Coalition Contributions to Countering the Islamic State, by [author name scrubbed]. In Q1FY2015, USCENTCOM resumed releasing data on DOD contractor personnel in Iraq—as the "Boots on the Ground" reports do not currently provide OIR troopforce levels, CRS usedis using the Force Management Levels for Iraq reported biannually by the White House, beginning with the December 2014 "Six Month Consolidated War Powers Resolution Report," to provide an indication of the current number of U.S. forces estimated to be in Iraq.

a. USCENTCOM reported that DOD contractors in Iraq from December 2011 through December 2013Q1FY2012 through Q1FY2014 were supporting both U.S. Mission Iraq and the Office of Security Cooperation Iraq.

b. Force Management Level for Iraq, as reported by The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, "Letter from the President—Six Month Consolidated War Powers Resolution Report," December 11, 2014, at https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/12/11/letter-president-six-month-consolidated-war-powers-resolution-report.

c. Per the USCENTCOM January 2015 Quarterly Contractor Census Report, these personnel were "primarily performing translator/interpreter, communications, logistics, and maintenance functions."

d. Per the USCENTCOM April 2015 Quarterly Contractor Census Report, these personnel were "primarily performing translator/interpreter, transportation, logistics, and maintenance functions."

eForce Management Level for Iraq, as reported by The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, "Letter from the President—Six Month Consolidated War Powers Resolution Report," June 11, 2015, at https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/06/11/letter-president-six-month-consolidated-war-powers-resolution-report. d. Force Management Level for Iraq, as reported by The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, "Letter from the President—Six Month Consolidated War Powers Resolution Report," June 11, 2014," December 11, 2015, at https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/0612/11/letter-president-six-month-consolidated-war-powers-resolution-report.

.

f. Per the USCENTCOM July 2015 Quarterly Contractor Census Report, these personnel were primarily performing logistics, maintenance, translator/interpreter, transportation, management, and administrative-related functions.

g. Per the USCENTCOM October 2015 Quarterly Contractor Census Report, these personnel were primarily performing logistics, maintenance, translator/interpreter, base support, management, and administrative-related functions.

e. Force Management Level for Iraq, as reported by The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, "Letter from the President—War Powers Resolution," June 13, 2016, at https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/06/13/letter-president-war-powers-resolution.

Table 4. DOD Troop LevelsU.S. Armed Forces and Private Security Contractors in Iraq

(September 2007-September 2013; June-September 2015Q1 FY2008-Q4 FY2013)

 

Troop Levels

U.S. Armed Forces

Total Private Security Contractorsa

U.S. National Private Security Contractors

Foreign and Host Country National Private Security Contractors

Sept. 2007

Q1 FY2008

161,783

9,952

830

9,122

Q2 FY2008
159,700

7,259

515

6,744

Q3 FY2008

153,300

7,704

1,540

6,164

Q4 FY2008

146,900

10,446

886b

9,560

Q1 FY2009

148,500

9,218

727b

8,436

Q2 FY2009

141,300

12,942

681

12,261

Q3 FY2009

134,500

15,279

802

14,477

Q4 FY2009

129,200

12,684

670

12,014

Q1 FY2010

114,300

11,095

776

10,319

Q2 FY2010

95,900

11,610

1,081

10,529

Q3 FY2010

88,320

11,413

1,030

10,383

Q4 FY2010

48,410

11,628

1,017

10,611

Q1 FY2011

47,305

8,327

791

7,536

Q2 FY2011

45,660

9,207

917

8,290

Q3 FY2011

46,010

10,414

935

9,479

Q4 FY2011

44,755

9,554

844

8,710

Q1 FY2012

11,445

8,995

751

8,244

Q2 FY2012

—

3,577

288

3,289

Q3 FY2012

—

2,407

116

2,291

Q4 FY2012

—

2,116

102

2,014

Q1 FY2013

—

2,281

235

2,046

Q2 FY2013

—

2,359

259

2,100

Q3 FY2013

—

2,148

217

1,931

Q4 FY2013

—

2,409

147

2,262

Sources: Force levels from Q1 FY2008 to Q1FY2012 are drawn from the DOD's "Boots on the Ground" monthly reports to Congress. Contractor levels are drawn from USCENTCOM Quarterly Contractor Census Reports.

Notes: DOD did not begin releasing data on private security contractor personnel levels in USCENTCOM until Q1FY2008, and ceased reporting data on DOD-funded private security contractor personnel in Iraq in Q4 FY2013. As of Q3 FY2016, USCENTCOM has not resumed reporting data on DOD-funded private security personnel in Iraq. See Table 3 for further discussion of recent U.S. troop and contractor levels in Iraq. a. USCENTCOM reported that DOD contractors in Iraq from December 2011 through December 2013 were supporting both U.S. Mission Iraq and the Office of Security Cooperation Iraq. b. USCENTCOM Quarterly Census Reports from Q4 FY2008 and Q1FY2009 also included NATO coalition personnel in the reported totals of U.S. private security contractor personnel. Table 5. DOD Contract Obligations in Iraq and Afghanistan Theaters of Operation (FY2007-FY2015; in millions of FY2017

169,000

No Data Available

No Data Available

No Data Available

Dec. 2007

165,700

9,952

830

9,122

Mar. 2008

160,500

7,259

515

6,744

June 2008

153,300

7,704

1,540

6,164

Sept. 2008

146,800

10,446

886b

9,560

Dec. 2008

148,500

9,218

727b

8,436

Mar. 2009

141,300

12,942

681

12,261

June 2009

134,571

15,279

802

14,477

Sept. 2009

130,000

12,684

670

12,014

Dec. 2009

114,300

11,095

776

10,319

Mar. 2010

95,900

11,610

1,081

10,529

June 2010

88,320

11,413

1,030

10,383

Sept. 2010

48,410

11,628

1,017

10,611

Dec. 2010

47,305

8,327

791

7,536

Mar. 2011

45,660

9,207

917

8,290

June 2011

46,010

10,414

935

9,479

Sept. 2011

44,755

9,554

844

8,710

Dec. 2011

11,445

8,995

751

8,244

Mar. 2012

—

3,577

288

3,289

June 2012

—

2,407

116

2,291

Sept. 2012

—

2,116

102

2,014

Dec. 2012

—

2,281

235

2,046

Mar. 2013

—

2,359

259

2,100

June 2013

—

2,148

217

1,931

Sept. 2013

—

2,409

147

2,262

No Data on Contractors Released by USCENTCOM from March 2014-September 2014

June 2015

Up to 3,550c

43d

No Data Available

No Data Available

Sept. 2015

Up to 3,550c

87e

No Data Available

No Data Available

Sources: Troop levels from September 2007-December 2013 are drawn from the DOD's "Boots on the Ground" monthly reports to Congress. Troop levels for December 2014-September 2015 are drawn from the White House's semiannual "War Powers Resolution Report" to Congress. Contractor levels are drawn from USCENTCOM Quarterly Contractor Census Reports.

Notes: DOD did not begin releasing data on private security contractor personnel levels in USCENTCOM until December 2007, and initially ceased reporting data on DOD private security contractor personnel in Iraq in September 2013. See Table 3 for further discussion of U.S. troop and contractor levels in Iraq since December 2011.

a. USCENTCOM reported that DOD contractors in Iraq from December 2011 through December 2013 were supporting both U.S. Mission Iraq and the Office of Security Cooperation Iraq.

b. USCENTCOM Quarterly Census Reports from August 2008 and November 2008 also included Coalition personnel in the reported totals of U.S. private security contractor personnel.

c. Force Management Level for Iraq, as reported by The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, "Letter from the President—Six Month Consolidated War Powers Resolution Report," June 11, 2014, at https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/06/11/letter-president-six-month-consolidated-war-powers-resolution-report.

d. In its June 2015 Quarterly Contractor Census Report, USCENTCOM indicated that 43 contractors fell under a "security" mission category in a summary of contractors in Iraq by mission category distribution.

e. In its October 2015 Quarterly Contractor Census Report, USCENTCOM indicated that 87 contractors fell under a "security" mission category in a summary of contractors in Iraq by mission category distribution.

Table 5. DOD Contract Obligations in Iraq and Afghanistan Theaters of Operation

(FY2007-FY2014; in millions of FY2015 dollars)

Sources
 

  

FY2007

FY2008

FY2009

FY2010

FY2011

FY2012

FY2013

FY2014

FY2015

Total

Iraq Theater

Iraq

$14,685.56

14,418.98

$17,987.49

17,179.22

$10,580.81

10,393.93

$7,878.74

7,744.93

$5,222.69

5,120.48

605.97

$617.71

526.94

$537.31

75.86

$77.62

56,066.31

$249.39

$57,587.93

 

Bahrain

578.24

$588.93

$1,333.27

1,273.36

$2,190.98

$609.37

2,152.28

597.90

$526.26

515.96

$338.40

331$883.97

866.74

$212.81

207.99

$551.41

$6,683.98

6,524.43

 

Kuwait

$4,983.13

4,892.67

$4,934.01

4,712.3

$5,821.30

5,718.48

4,955.38

$5,050.40

$3,983.48

3,905.53

$2,612.30

2,562.62

$3,139.88

3,078.67

$1,793.63

1,766.52

31,592.18

$2,004.14

$32,318.13
 

Qatar

Qatar

$323.46

317.59

$469.24

448.16

$886.45

870.79

$351.45

344.83

$840.67

824.22

$870.86

854.30

$432.20

423.78

$175.28

171.89

$324.56

$4,349.61

4,255.56

 

Saudi Arabia

206.78

$210.60

358.88

$375.76

971.86

$989.33

791.27

$806.44

303.43

$309.49

559.19

$570.03

945.21

$964.00

$1,255.52

1,227.08

5,363.7

$2,093.57

$5,481.17
 

Turkey

Turkey

$375.63

369.08

$192.94

184.53

$311.55

306.28

$142.84

140.55

$185.75

182.30

$286.12

280.90

$191.61

187.92

$184.99

180.72

$203.56

$1,871.42

1,832.26

 

UAE

256.59

$261.33

$1,326.57

1,266.96

300.38

$305.78

$2,662.15

2,612.06

$1,060.54

1,039.10

$1,467.74

1,439.83

$2,281.36

2,236.88

$1,757.48

1,717.46

10,869.26

$1,306.55

$11,122.94
 

Oman

Oman

$94.29

92.57

$107.54

102.71

$85.31

83.81

$125.88

123.51

$142.16

139.38

$214.68

210.60

$228.80

224.34

$106.60

104.19

$124.73

$1,105.28

1,081.12

 

Jordan

82.33

$83.85

88.15

$92.30

$14.81

14.55

$13.77

13.51

39.22

$40.01

$54.17

53.14

$177.08

173.62

$168.23

164.42

$203.89

628.95

$644.21

Total Iraq Theater

$21,606.77

21,214.83

25,614.28

$26,819.14

20,812.37

$21,186.33

$17,641.03

17,323.94

$12,311.04

12,069.61

6,898.51

$7,032.01

$8,836.20

8,664.1

$5,732.15

$6,842.88

5,616.13

11,8213.77

$121,164.67

Afghanistan Theater

Afghanistan

$3,800.69

3,731.7

$6,893.02

6,755.71

$8,200.70

8,055.86

12,833.67

$13,079.75

17,794.75

$18,149.95

$19,426.34

19,056.94

14,711.26

$15,003.74

$6,176.47

$3,274.96

6,083.85

8,9023.73

$90,730.66
 

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan

$6.06

5.95

$30.07

29.47

$48.07

47.22

$66.29

65.04

$75.27

73.80

$78.52

77.02

$93.56

91.73

$57.51

56.20

$67.42

446.44

$455.34

 

Kyrgyzstan

419.24

$426.99

19.89

$20.29

367.86

$374.47

131.61

$134.14

889.06

$906.81

$1,988.82

1,951.00

1,983.52

$2,022.96

$684.07

668.58

-$1.85

$6,558.54

6,430.76

 

Pakistan

73.13

$74.48

230.18

$234.86

249.44

$253.93

176.12

$179.50

63.81

$65.08

16.98

$17.30

-$3.65

$23.91

3.58

21.25

$74.88

827.33

$845.42

 

Tajikistan

—

$0.00

$0.01

$1.09

1.07

$3.80

3.72

$3.55

3.48

$8.87

8.71

$9.25

9.07

$7.49

7.32

33.38

$6.99

$34.06

 

Turkmenistan

$0.45

0.44

18.92

$19.30

$9.24

9.08

23.76

$24.21

$10.45

10.25

$4.44

4.36

$13.97

13.69

$1.48

$0.15

1.44

81.93

$83.54

 

Uzbekistan

$13.94

13.69

15.74

$16.06

$9.90

9.73

$22.73

22.30

$16.44

16.12

$23.82

23.37

18.72

$19.09

21.65

$22.16

141.33

$32.22

$144.16

Total Afghanistan Theater

$4,322.61

4,244.15

$7,213.62

7,069.92

$8,897.40

8,740.25

$13,510.41

13,256.23

18,851.26

$19,227.54

$21,548.12

21,138.38

16,824.42

$17,158.92

$6,973.08

$3,347.67

6,860.3

96,984.91

$98,851.71

Total Iraq and Afghanistan

$25,929.39

25,458.98

32,684.2

29,552.62

30,580.17

30,920.88

28,036.88

25,488.52

12,476.43

215,198.67

$34,032.76

$30,083.73

$31,151.45

$31,538.59

$28,580.13

$25,995.11

$12,705.23

$10,190.55

$220,016.38

Source: Federal Procurement Data System, as of October 2015June 30, 2016 for FY2007-FY2014FY2015 data; CRS adjustments for inflation using deflators for converting into constantFY2017 dollars derived from Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), Department of Defense, National Defense Budget Estimates for FY2015FY2017, "Department of Defense Deflators – TOA By Category 'Total Non-Pay,'" Table 5-5, p. 56-57, April 2014.

58-59, March 2016.

Notes: Numbers may not add due to rounding.

Author Contact Information

[author name scrubbed], Coordinator, Information Research Specialist ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])
[author name scrubbed], Specialist in Defense Acquisition ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])
[author name scrubbed], Specialist in Military Manpower Policy ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])

Footnotes

1.

See Department of Defense Instruction 3020.41, Operational Contract Support (OCS), December 20, 2011, p. 48, at http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/302041p.pdf.
2.

See Joint Publication 4-10, Operational Contract Support, July 2014, p. 211, at http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/new_pubs/jp4_10.pdf.
3.

See Department of Defense (DOD), Contractor Support of U.S. Operations in the USCENTCOM Area of Responsibility to Include Iraq and Afghanistan, July 2015, April 2016, at http://www.acq.osd.mil/log/PS/CENTCOM_reports.html; Boots on the Ground Report, June 2015March 2016.
4.

See DODDepartment of Defense, Contractor Support of U.S. Operations in the USCENTCOM Area of Responsibility to Include Iraq and Afghanistan, October 2015; DOD, "Statement from the Department of Defense on Additional U.S. Personnel to Deploy to Iraq," June 10, 2015, at http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/605555 July 2016. As "Boots on the Ground" reports do not currently provide OIR force levels, CRS is using the force management level for Iraq reported biannually by the White House to provide an indication of the current number of U.S. forces estimated to be in Iraq.
5.

Iraqi areas of operation are defined by the Congressional Research Service (CRS)CRS as Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Jordan. Afghani areas of operation are defined by CRS as Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.