1. By: Benjamin Sanders

2.  Blackwater USA was formed in 1997, by Erik Prince in
North Carolina, to provide training support to military
and law enforcement organizations.
 He spent part of his inherited wealth to purchase
about 6,000 acres of the Great Dismal Swamp, a vast
swamp on the North Carolina/Virginia border, now
mostly a National Wildlife Refuge.

3.  There he created his
state-of-the-art private
training facility, and his
contracting
company, Blackwater, w
hich he named for the
peat-colored water of
the swamp.
 In 2002 Blackwater
Security Consulting
(BSC) was formed.

4.  Overall, the company has
received over $1 billion
USD in U.S. government
contracts.
 Blackwater consists of
nine divisions, and a
subsidiary, Blackwater
Vehicles.

5.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdkA5H8
bHfk&feature=related

7.  The mission statement of Blackwater as of 2007 is “To
support national and international security policies that
protect those who are defenseless and provide a free voice
for all with a dedication to providing ethical, efficient, and
effective turnkey solutions that positively impact the lives
of those still caught in desperate times. Blackwater is
committed to the foot soldiers -- the men and women
who stand on the frontlines of the global war on terror and
who believe in a peaceful future for their communities and
nations. Whether serving in or out of uniform, Blackwater
is committed to providing these men and women with the
very best in training and tactical support to ensure they
are fully prepared to meet current and future global
security challenges.”

8.  The Vision statement of Blackwater is "To
support security, peace, freedom, and
democracy everywhere."

9.  Blackwater USA consists of five companies:
 Blackwater Training Center
 Blackwater Target Systems
 Blackwater Security Consulting (Moyock,
North Carolina)
 Blackwater Canine
 Blackwater Air (AWS).
 Blackwater's president, Gary Jackson, is a
former Navy SEAL, as are other executives
within the firm.

11.  Strategic planning is the process of analyzing competitive
opportunities and threats, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of
the organization, and then determining how to compete effectively
in its environment.
 Blackwater has certainly determined how to compete effectively in
its environment.
 With a renewable contract with the Department of Defense
(Blackwater’s primary customer by far), Blackwater is way ahead of
the competition.

12.  In 2006 a car accident
occurred in the Baghdad
Green Zone when an
SUV driven by
Blackwater operatives
crashed into a U.S. Army
Humvee.
 Blackwater guards
allegedly disarmed the
Army soldiers and forced
them to lie on the
ground at gunpoint until
they could disentangle
their SUV from the
wreck.

13.  On February 16, 2005, four Blackwater guards escorting a U.S. State Department convoy
fired 70 rounds into an Iraqi's car. The guards stated that they felt threatened by the car's
approach. The fate of the car's driver was unknown because the convoy did not stop after
the shooting.
 An investigation by the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service concluded that the
shooting was not justified and that the Blackwater employees provided false statements to
investigators.
 The false statements claimed that the one of the Blackwater vehicles had been hit by
insurgent gunfire, but the investigation found that one of the Blackwater guards had
actually fired into his own vehicle.
 John Frese, the U.S. embassy in Iraq's top security official, declined to punish Blackwater or
the security guards, stating that "any disciplinary actions would be deemed as lowering the
morale" of the Blackwater contractors.

15.  Leadership within the Blackwater
organization, especially those operating in
Iraq and Afghanistan, closely resembles a top
down militaristic leadership style for issuing
commands.

17.  This lack of a defined role is where one of the
major problems arises within the Blackwater
organization. Blackwater uses an
empowering leadership style on individuals
who are not highly competent or highly
committed to upholding the company’s
mission to “uphold peace”.

18.  100% mission success rate
 The top down communication is clear
 Prince and other Blackwater executives have anticipated a
shift away from the private security sector and allocated
company resources accordingly.
 In this way, they handle change with a “premortem”
approach, being proactive to their environment instead of
taking a reactive approach.

19.  Clear Channels of Communication- Not just
top-down.
 There are many concerns and protests from
the field mercenaries that are not relayed to
higher commands.

20.  Clear set of operating procedures needs to be
put into effect
 I would also recommend stiffer penalties for
breaking these rules.
 According to a report from the State
Department, “The most serious consequence
faced by Blackwater personnel for
misconduct appears to be termination of
their employment”.