Sabre International Security

I picked up this Contractor top today.

From what I read, Sabre International Security has an extremely sketchy past.

I managed to find a few photos online, and learned that for static security work in Iraq, the company hired extensively from Uganda and Kenya. (I've attached two stock photos I found online of Sabre guys in Iraq).

This company's issues in regards to its previous Afghanistan contracts are very interesting reading:


https://www.theatlantic.com/…/afghanistan-civilian-…/581263/

Cool top. I think everybody will want contractor items in a few decades due to the huge role they have played. The article link didnt work for me.

Cap Camouflage Pattern I wrote:Cool top. I think everybody will want contractor items in a few decades due to the huge role they have played. The article link didnt work for me.

Sorry - I think I saved the wrong url:


https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/01/afghanistan-civilian-private-security/581263/



After I retired from Active Duty I walked the contractor side of the fence for a few years.  I was extremely strange traveling on my own to Afghanistan, and then living and working as just me, and not as the NCOIC of 40 Army dudes.  At least I got to dress comfortably while deployed.

The company I worked for was primarily former Special Ops and Special Mission Unit guys.  Money was great.  Contracts started drying up, and they closed our small office in Tennessee (a small group of us former 5th SF Group guys).

Great top Bryan. I'm in agreement with Cap in that contractor items will grow in popularity and demand Like many of us I had dealings with different contract security companies both before and after I retired. Some good. Some not. Many people left good careers for big paychecks. Once they got home and or the contracts started drying up they couldn't re-enter their previous careers and found themselves struggling. I'm not judging or taking sides but some of them would admit they may not have looked at the long term implications. Same on the medical side. Guys got hurt and after their initial treatment in theater were left to fend for themselves. I remember a company I worked for (good company) preparing me for in theater travel. (Never executed.) After spending a career of being supported by the military it seemed strange filling out paperwork to obtain my own medical and life insurance. Our company got out of that part of the business after losing a few guys. One of the owners said he just didn't have it in him anymore to have to tell a family they lost a husband/father. (He was retired military as well.) Sorry for the long post. There are a lot of sides and issues to PMCs that I'm not sure ever really get fully discussed.

Great top Bryan! I have a few PMC related items and glad I got them when I did.

It would be different being a contractor with only the support of your actual company to back you
up versus having the armed forces backing you up. I would bet it could be lonely being a PMC if
things went south.

Again nice top Bryan

Bagman6 wrote:Great top Bryan.  I'm in agreement with Cap in that contractor items will grow in popularity and demand   Like many of us I had dealings with different contract security companies both before and after I retired.  Some good.  Some not.  Many people left good careers for big paychecks.  Once they got home and or the contracts started drying up they couldn't re-enter their previous careers and found themselves struggling.  I'm not judging or taking sides but some of them would admit they may not have looked at the long term implications.  Same on the medical side.  Guys got hurt and after their initial treatment in theater were left to fend for themselves.  I remember a company I worked for (good company) preparing me for in theater travel. (Never executed.)  After spending a career of being supported by the military it seemed strange filling out paperwork to obtain my own medical and life insurance.  Our company got out of that part of the business after losing a few guys.  One of the owners said he just didn't have it in him anymore to have to tell a family they lost a husband/father. (He was retired military as well.)  Sorry for the long post.  There are a lot of sides and issues to PMCs that I'm not sure ever really get fully discussed.

After a career in the Army, it was an interesting experience going back down range as a contractor. I'm glad that I had the experience, as it seems that much of the GWOT involves contractors.

I was fortunate in that I was in a good company. Benefits were very generous - Good pay, 401k, disability and life insurance, family medical - dental - vision (Tricare supplement for we retirees), paid leave, etc ...

On the other hand, I recall several stressful times when we weren't sure if we'd still have jobs or not the following month, waiting work on one contract or the other. Stress was enough that it finally came as a relief when we were closed down. Retirement and VA disability is taking care of us, though we do miss the big pay check.

Very nice finds Bryan, love contractors items !

Great article as well.

Yeah very good article, thanks

I don't have any insight to the executive management side of Sabre, but I've known a handful of folks that worked at Sabre in mid-level managerial roles for teams of Ugandans doing static security in Iraq.

The Ugandans they hired had a reputation of being both exceedingly polite and professional. They did a crap job, at crap wages, but managed to do it with a smile and minimal drama. Other than breaking everything mechanical; from radios to rifles to trucks to the venerable Hilux, those guys could break an anvil if they had one.

During the post-surge drawdown, static security was a good way to stay employed as a contractor, and quite a bit safer than some of the convoy security jobs. Most of the static security jobs also had the luxury of DoD response forces and QRF being nearby. There were infrequently used on remote COPs and FOBs - a more common use was in/on large bases at guard towers, interior checkpoints, clearing barrels, DFACs, etc.. These jobs were also a useful path for your average 'combat arms' type to get a year or two of experience and build a resume before applying for a WPPS contract type position.

Yes, a lot of guys left careers in the DoD early for contract jobs, and quiet a few were left standing without a seat when the music stopped.

Good post. I had to laugh at the "break an anvil" comment. Had never hear that one before. You made my day with that. Thanks.

Although breaking an anvil is very hard it is easy to damage one, if you work your project too cold it will dent the face of the anvil, which makes it harder flatten your project

Sabre was very sketchy. I worked as one of their Site Managers in Iraq for a year. Popped smoke as soon as my contract was up due to some of those sketchy dealings that they left me hanging with during a congressional investigation. As for the Ugandans, some of them were hardest workers I had. Granted, there was some real lazy ones too. But you have that with any group. Their loyalty for the most was above par.  Even had the opportunity to hire a few of them back in Uganda a few years later on a different contract for providing LGF's for DoS. Still friends with many of them, a few who've even managed to immigrate to the States.

And something about the remarks concerning their pay always bothered me. By our standards it was "low", but for the majority, they were "making bank" in comparison to their opportunities back home. Alot of them told me that in one month, they made nearly half their annual income back home. And after having spent considerable time in Uganda later as mentioned, I believed it.

And yes, they had a propensity to break things, lol. On the flip side, they were/are some of the best "shade tree mechanics" I've seen.

Great insight. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Thanks very much for the information HooiveDude, very informative and interesting to hear first hand accounts. Thank you.

I found recently one similar Sabre40 security jacket




Usall

Nice Thread - Don't see these often ~
MZ