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Use of contractors for protective diplomatic security
The State Department clearly spells out its policy for the use of contractors in its Worldwide Personal Protective Service (WPPS) contracts under which South West Area Tactical operates. The following document, titled "Diplomatic Security - Use of Contractors for Protective Security," explains the policy by the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security. The document is available from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Diplomatic Security - Use of Contractors for Protective Security

Justification
[State Department] Diplomatic Security is a relatively small force of approximately 1,450 Special Agents with a worldwide mission to provide a safe and secure environment for the conduct of our nation's foreign policy. In furtherance of that mission, the Bureau of Diplomatic Security uses a contracting mechanism, the Worldwide Personal Protective Services contract that permits the Department to expand its capability in order to meet changing missions in the absence of additional full time staff without the delay of recruiting and training personnel. Diplomatic Security has contracted overseas guard services for decades to protect our personnel, facilities, and residential neighborhoods.

Contractor Roles and Missions
Private security firms provide personal protective and guard services under various contracts for the Department of State. The services are provided in support of the Worldwide Personal Protective Services and Local Guard Programs.

Worldwide Personal Protective Services (WPPS) Program
Under the Diplomatic and Antiterrorism Act of 1986, the Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS) of the Department of State (DOS) has a broad range of responsibilities that include protection of personnel and facilities both domestic and abroad. The WPPS initiative is an effort by the Department of State to pre-plan, organize, set up, deploy and operate contractor protective service details for the protection of U.S. and/or certain foreign government high-level officials whenever the need arises. In certain circumstances, and when directed, contractors may be required to recruit, evaluate, and train, local foreign government or third-country foreign nationals in established personal protective security procedures, to conduct protective security operations overseas with them, and to provide trained protective security personnel for short or long-term special domestic security situations. Over the past ten years, the Bureau of Diplomatic Security has become increasingly involved in providing protective services for high-level U.S. officials and certain designated foreign leaders in several areas of the world. As a result of conflicts, wars, political unrest, and more recently, terrorist activity, these areas have become extremely dangerous places in which to live and work. The return of a democratic government to Haiti in October 1994, the continual turmoil in the Middle East, and the post-war stabilization efforts by the United States Government in Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq are all types of world events that require priority deployment of contractor protective services teams on a long-term basis.

Local Guard Program
The policy of the U.S. Government requires we take all reasonable and appropriate steps to reduce the risk of terrorism and crime affecting our employees. To this end, and to ensure our Embassies and Consulates have secure environments from which to pursue our diplomatic missions, we provide contract guard services, under our Local Guard Program. An Embassy or Consulate, supported by one of these performance-based contracts, is provided guard services to prevent unauthorized access, protect life, maintain order, deter criminal attacks against employees, dependents and property, prevent terrorist acts against all U.S. assets, and preclude damage to Government property. The guard service contractors furnish managerial, administrative and direct labor personnel to accomplish all work required by this contract. A contractor's employees are permitted on-site only for contractual duties and not for any other business or purposes.

Types of Contractor Services
Contractors provide a high degree of specialization, which greatly assists DS in fulfilling its protective mandate. A number of the common specialties are reflected below:

  • Guard
  • Protective Security Specialist, to include medics, firearms instructors, etc.
  • Administrative/Logistical Support Specialist
  • Armorers
  • Designated Defensive Marksman
  • Intelligence Analysts
  • Armor Vehicle Mechanics
  • Aviation Package, to include pilots, co-pilots, door gunners/crew members, and aviation mechanics
  • Explosive Detection Dog Teams (Handler and Dogs)


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