Employees say they have heard little from major defense contractor V2X Inc about safety and evacuation protocols

Employees say they have heard little from major defense contractor V2X Inc about safety and evacuation protocols

Employees of major defense contractor V2X Inc on US military bases in Kuwait say they lack adequate bunker facilities and have had their pay reduced amid Iranian missile attacks across the Persian Gulf region, while receiving limited communication from their employer about safety and evacuation procedures.

The Guardian interviewed three V2X employees on the US bases Camp Arifjan and Camp Buehring in Kuwait, following Iranian missile strikes on Kuwait, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan on Saturday.

The attacks follow United States and Israeli strikes on Iran earlier on Saturday. Iran has since launched a series of retaliatory attacks targeting US military bases and, according to regional authorities, some civilian infrastructure in the Persian Gulf.

  • StrawberryPigtailsEnglish
    17·
    22 hours ago

    V2X Inc was formed in July 2022 following a $2.1bn merger between Vectrus and the Vertex Company. The company holds a LOGCAP V contract supporting US military operations in Kuwait, providing logistics and base operations services, including roles such as mechanics, warehouse staff, dining facility workers and IT personnel.

    “It almost seemed like [the Pentagon] evacuated the soldiers so if anything would happen safely, for instance, that base was hit it would be less casualties on the military standpoint,” said the second American worker. “What about us? Are we just considered casualties of war? How did they leave before us?”

    “Everybody talks about the military but nobody talks about us,” said the first American worker. “We are stuck here and treated like we are expendable.”

    The two American workers said the only communication they received from a supervisor during the attacks concerned a new payroll code to enter into their timesheets, which would reduce their pay. The Guardian has reviewed the message.

    You are mercs. You are expendable. In what world did you think that working for the military (any military, but especially the US military outside the US) was a safe occupation, regardless of what you do. If you work for the military you are likely to get shot at or bombed. During a war, which this is, you’d be safer running a gas station in the bad part of any major city.

    Shit takes like this are why I hate the term contractor when it comes to working with the military. That said, V2X are a bunch of shitbags for cutting their pay during this.