Officials said the number of U.S. contractors has dropped from 175,000
to 85,000 in less than a year. They said by September 2010 the contractors
community would reach 65,000.
"We will then go down further, as we continue to reduce our size," U.S.
military commander in Iraq, Gen. Ray Odierno, said. "They will probably be
behind us about one or two months, and I think they will then come down
further."
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In a June 4 briefing, Odierno said the reduction of the U.S. private
contracting community has kept pace with the departure of American troops.
He said as many as 12,500 troops would leave Iraq per month through
September 2010.
Officials said the U.S. military has increasingly employed Iraqi
contractors. They said the Iraqi companies would be required for support
following the departure of all American combat troops in September.
"We're turning them more into Iraqis who are part of those contracts,"
Odierno said. "So it's also helping develop the economy. But they're also
helping us do some of the things that we have to do in order to sustain
ourselves and continue to sustain the force over there."
But Odierno said the remaining presence of 50,000 U.S. troops would not
require the same level of support as combat soldiers. He said many
of the remaining troops would consist of advisers and trainers.
"It's a little bit lighter on combat service support," Odierno said. "So
we'll need some contractors to continue to help us with that. But that
number comes down with the number of soldiers coming down, as well."
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