The Professional Services Council has urged the departments of State and Defense to improve communications and coordination with industry on threats and other safety risks facing U.S. government contractors overseas.
David Berteau, president and CEO of PSC and a two-time Wash100 award winner, wrote a letter to Defense Secretary and fellow Wash100 awardee Mark Esper and State Secretary Mike Pompeo asking them to issue a joint public statement that adds contractors to the recipients of increased threat alerts.
“While we cannot yet link the recent attacks in Kenya directly to the increased threat of retaliation from Iran or its proxies, these events show the increased risks faced by U.S. Government contractors,” Berteau wrote. “Contractors serve a vital role and support critical missions, and we believe DoD and the State Department should increase their public focus on sharing with contractors all relevant information.”
PSC issued the letter after an attack on a defense base in Kenya led to the death of two U.S. contractors and destruction of an aircraft. Prior to that, a U.S. contractor died on Dec. 27 following an attack against a military installation near Kirkuk, Iraq.
