Will the Army's continued reliance on contractors negatively impact future military operations? This paper examines the three different types of contractor groups and the risks associated with using systems, external support, and theater support contractors in the context of offensive, defensive, support, or stability operations. The paper concludes that the use of contractors in support of Army operations will impact those operations negatively if the risks associated with the contractor support are not identified, mitigated, and the contractor support is not well planned and integrated.

ADA 407873 Approved for public release; Distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)