When a nation deploys ground forces, an inverse relationship exists between the number of military deaths and public support. This stark and monolithic metric, which economists call the “casualty sensitivity” effect, requires close examination today. On the modern battlefield, contractor personnel die at rates similar to—or indeed often in excess of—soldiers, yet the U.S. public and Congress remain largely unaware of this “substitution.” This article explains the phenomenon, identifies some of the challenges and complexities associated with quantifying and qualifying the real price of combat in a modern outsourced military, and encourages greater transparency.
Full Journal Article Author Details
By: Collin D. Swan
Collin D. Swan is a J.D. candidate at George Washington University Law School, and is an Associate for The George Washington Law Review.
By: Steven L. Schooner
Steven L. Schooner is the Nash & Cibinic Professor of Government Procurement Law at the George Washington University Law School.
Professor Schooner previously served as the Associate Administrator for Procurement Law and Legislation in the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, as a trial attorney at the Department of Justice, and as an Army Judge Advocate.
Schooner gratefully acknowledges Seymour Herman for his continued support of government procurement law research at the George Washington University Law School.
