Should KBR be held responsible for the electrocution deaths of American soldiers?

Sir,

I agree with you that we cannot chalk this up to "shit happens."  The lives of good soldiers have been lost--if it can be proven that KBR has been negligent, the families of the lost should be allowed compensation.  As for the "only" company--a mis-statement on my part--KBR has the largest number of people "willing" to go overseas and do this kind of work.  Other companies could certainly produce the same quality work--but the magnitude of the job (throughout the theater) is immense.  Smaller (in size) companies would take a much longer time to complete necessary work orders with no guarantee that similar results would happen to them as well.  I've got one tour done, getting ready for a second tour soon.  

Very Respectfully, 

Soldier11 

I spent two years working for KBR in Iraq as an Electrician. KBR is not the only company that can do this work. If other companies had been allowed to bid on it we would have seen that. And as an electrician I refuse to chalk this all up as "shit happens" this was very avoidable. I hope you made it home safety. Thank you for serving our country. I hope you will take a stand on this issue.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

KBR does an absolutely outstanding job in Iraq.  They are the only company with enough people, equipment, trucks and other materials to accomplish the support mission in theater.  The incidents we are discussing in this forum are tragic.  While I dont know all the facts of the case, having been to Iraq I can say this.  It is still a combat zone.  Good people die--from combat, car accidents, acts of God and so forth.  KBR otherwise does an outstanding job, however, if they are found to have been negligent in these incidents by way of an investigation, I think the families of the soldiers involved should file in civil court for compensation.

Very Respectfully,

Soldier11

ok...approve?

I like that wording.

I can deal with that wording...

Ms. Sparky?

Should KBR be held responsible for the electrocution deaths of American soldiers?

I should have spell checked

I hadn't planned on giving up!!! I'm "kind of" stubborn that way. And that's Ms Sparky!! ;o)

If  you need more info go to my website  at www.mssparky.com. I have absoluetly everything posted there. Testimony, pics, videos.

Debbie Crawford

ok i just read the times article and this is a good issue. sorry to Sparky to not getting on this earlier.

Heather Browne, a KBR spokeswoman, would not comment about a company safety study or the reports of electrical fires or shocks, but she said KBR had found no evidence of a link between its work and the electrocutions. She added, “KBR’s commitment to the safety of all employees and those the company serves remains unwavering.”

So KBR doesn't think there's a link between its work and electrocutions. . here's a statement from Ingrid Harrison and the Pentagon:

Ms. Harrison added that KBR officials also knew of widespread electrical problems at the Radwaniya Palace Complex, near Baghdad’s airport, where Sergeant Maseth died. “KBR has been at R.P.C. for over four years and was fully aware of the safety hazards, violations and concerns regarding the soldiers’ housing,” she said in the statement. She added that the contractor “chose to ignore the known unsafe conditions.”

ok, we should be definitely be covering this. Can I see some sample evidence? That'll help us frame the wording.

In light if this morning NYT article let's reword this a little!! How about...

Who is responsible for the electrical issues in Iraq?

KBR

Pentagon

Both

The Senate Democratic Policy Committee is hearing testimony on this issue on Friday July 11th. I will be testifying. You can read more about it at www.mssparky.com

I would say this subject is more like negligent homicide!

This also has nothing to do with "Should the US military issue contracts to private security firms."

Here's the latest NY Times Article on the subject.

Despite Alert, Flawed Wiring Still Kills GI's

You can also get more info at my blog

US Soldiers Electrocuted In Iraq

This is serious business. I'm getting ready to testify before congress in July.

This is way past "Should Congress have oversight...."

We also have another related issue:

Should Congress have oversight over private military contractors?

Not sure if it's as relevant...

is this in any way related to this issue:

Should the US military issue contracts to private security firms?

Sorry, here's the link to that NYTimes piece.

An editorial from the NYTimes on KBR:

Sure enough, KBR’s claims were soon unblocked. The contract Goliath got performance bonuses, too.

The risks of bucking KBR from inside the defense establishment were disclosed by Mr. Smith to James Risen of The Times. “Ultimately, the money that was going to KBR was money being taken away from the troops, and I wasn’t going to do that,” said Mr. Smith, now retired. The Pentagon insists that it had good management motives in reversing Mr. Smith and heeding KBR’s warning that penalties would erode basic services for the troops. The military dares to maintain that Mr. Smith was not taken off the job because of political pressure.

Nothing much seems to have stood in the company’s way since Mr. Smith was purged. KBR just snared a big piece of a new 10-year, $150 billion Iraq contract.

However, this is mostly about KBR being a part of war profiteering... if we could create a different KBR subject with regard to their profits, we could make this issue feasible... asking if they're responisble for the deaths might be too tough to cover.

This is a serious subject. Billions have been handed over to KBR with little or no oversight.

KBR had the responsibility to maintain facilities in a safe manner and did not. At least 12 soldiers and who knows how many civilians have died from electrocution due to improper grounding. A soldier should not die in Iraq by being elecrocuted in his shower like Ryan Maseth.