December 13, 2011

Blackwater 3.0: Rebranded ‘Academi’ Wants Back in Iraq

The company formerly known as Blackwater


http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/12/blackwater-rebrand-academi/

Blackwater 3.0: Rebranded ‘Academi’ Wants Back in Iraq
By Spencer Ackerman
Email Author
December 12, 2011 | 12:00 pm

~snip~

Say goodbye to Xe. The company formerly known as Blackwater — the world’s most infamous private security corporation — has jettisoned the name it chose in its 2009 rebrand. Now the “security solutions provider” wants to wash away the taint of the 2007 Nisour Square shootings by adopting the new name “Academi.”

But the company is changing its name — not its core business. And it even wants back into the country where it ran its brand through the mud: Iraq.
“Our focus is on training and security services. We’re continuing that,” new CEO Ted Wright tells Danger Room. “We’re not backing away from security services. The lion’s share of our business today is providing training for security services and [providing] security services.”

If Blackwater — sorry, Academi – was a sports franchise, you’d consider 2011 its rebuilding year. A consortium of investors close to the family of founder Erik Prince bought the company in late 2010, and spent 2011 putting together its new leadership team. It brought on board former Attorney General John Ashcroft, Bill Clinton consigliere Jack Quinn and Suzanne Folsom from the insurance giant AIG. Wright came from military-services giant KBR. Notice a pattern? All have deep experience with crisis management.

December 12, 2011

Lawmakers press military housing company to fix problems

http://hamptonroads.com/2011/12/lawmakers-press-military-housing-company-fix-problems
By Lauren King
The Virginian-Pilot
© December 12, 2011

NORFOLK - In response to complaints about mold in privately run military housing from residents to federal lawmakers, Lincoln Military Housing representatives said they will make changes.

~snip~

Residents began by describing their problems with water damage, mold and service. They brought photos and paperwork. One woman drove from Charlotte, N.C., to talk about the problems she had for the five years she lived in military housing in Virginia. She moved in October.

Warner often had to raise his hands to quell the roar of residents as complaints grew to include Lincoln personnel and contractors' behavior. The one-hour meeting stretched to nearly two.

~snip~

Jeff Franzen and Jarl Bliss of Lincoln said they will change contractors, create a new customer service officer position and find a resident family housing advocate.


unhappycamper comment: Privatization is the problem, as well as all the big $$$$$$$ toys the DoD is buying.

Military communities are showing the same signs of neglect as the rest of the US.