OH BLACKWATER, KEEP ON ROLLIN’ Nathan Hodge of Danger Zone visited the Blackwater training facility in North Carolina. Blackwater is at the forefront of military privatization:
It’s like a military base — without the golf course. And more construction was underway. Earth movers and dumptrucks rumbled around the property, where a new runway and hangars were being built. Blackwater was even building a chapel: the company has its own staff chaplain.
It’s all part of the decade-old company’s phenomenal growth.
Since September 11, 2001, Blackwater has seen a surge in demand for its services, including a major State Department security contract . In that respect, the Blackwater/HK training venture was a classic exercise in “cross-branding.” By joining with Heckler & Koch, Blackwater leveraged the name recognition of a firearms manufacturer that provides high-end weapons to military and law enforcement customers around the globe.
Read the whole thing. Also see these two posts by Sharon Weinberger.
–Robert Farley
