Private Security Firms

How are private security firms such as Blackwater created?

How do they get the liscenses to carry assault weapons and use explosive weapons such as grenades? After that, woul i just have to hire my own private army and be a legitamate "security firm"?

Public Comments

1. they get that due to the fact that these are mostly ppl who have been hired worldwide who have served under the most strenuous of circumstances and need those weapons to do their jobs most of the time anyway. so most of them are already cleared on these weapons and use already becuz they are straight from the military to the corporate world which pays alot more.
2. There's a special coming up on them on 'Democracy Now' (Dish or Charter). I think it's this Sunday or the following and looks like it will be pretty good.
3. The same way just about any other company is formed. The incorporate then go about getting the appropriate licenses for what they want to do. The real challenge is not getting the licenses - it is finding the initial set of customers.
4. Its not so much what you know, its who you know..The founder of Blackwater was a Navy SEAL and is connected with Washington at the highest level. They bid for contracts and its ran just like any other fortune 500 company.
5. it's simple supply and demand.... if you have been properly indoctrinated by the counter-culture elements that claim the U.S. is the greatest threat to global security, then believing that BW is just a "private mercenary army" pretty much saves you the trouble of thinking on your own. The fact is that the world is a pretty dangerous place and the U.S. Army is NOT, in fact, the world police. There are businessmen, celebrities and politician who know this and yet do not want to entrust their lives to underpaid local police. These people are rightfully willing to pay large sums of money to secure their lives. Also, weapons are not made by armies...they are made by private corporations who sell them to anybody who is properly licensed to carry one. So, the answer is "yes" you can form a company of your own. Just don't complain about the system being "fixed" when you lose contracts to the professionals. I'm sure even your mom would hire BW over your company if she had to go secure a mining deal in South America...
6. They are "Security" or "Independent" contractors under the State Dept. so they are given some clout to what they can and cant carry. In Iraq, their contracts of who they work for state what they can carry. Currently, Dept. of State contracts state that an M4 and a Glock G19 are used for personal weapons. Dept. of Defense contracts state something else that I'm not sure what but DOD contracts give more leeway as to what a contractor can carry. And yes, you could start your own firm but good luck getting worthwhile help with no military background and being a no-name.