Blackwater - now airdropping VITAL supplied to the troops.

Post by **weemadando** » 2008-07-29 02:23am

No comment required.

Game Politics wrote:Controversial Blackwater Worldwide Using Guitar Hero, Xbox 360 in Recruiting Efforts
July 27, 2008

Recruiters for controversial Blackwater Worldwide, which provides "paid contractors" (i.e. - mercenaries) to supplement United States forces in Iraq, apparently distribute consoles and popular video games to spread good will among American forces.

That's likely because former military personnel make up the bulk of Blackwater employees. An Associated Press profile on the company notes:

[Blackwater exec] Bill Mathews... said during a recent interview with The Associated Press. "This is sort of the quintessential veteran-owned, -operated and -managed company. Almost everybody is a former U.S. serviceman..."

Blackwater recruiter James Overton is working on packing a Microsoft Xbox video-game console, modem, TV projector and "Guitar Hero" video game into a kit that can be kicked out of a Blackwater cargo plane and dropped to troops in Afghanistan.

"When I was in Baghdad, we'd bring soldiers over to our camp over there, and we'd play this thing for hours on end," Overton said. "Every (military) place I've ever been to overseas, they've got like backgammon and Parcheesi and chess, and they're all gathering dust. But this is the stuff they play at home. And any semblance of home we can give them is best."

KlavoHunter · Post by **KlavoHunter** » 2008-07-29 04:34am

Controversial, but I bet it does a fantastic job of attracting new potential employees...

sketerpot · Post by **sketerpot** » 2008-07-29 04:51am

Compared to the cost of a few smart missiles, this sounds like a relatively cheap way to improve morale.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2008-07-29 05:19am

KlavoHunter wrote:Controversial, but I bet it does a fantastic job of attracting new potential employees...

Yeah, the best soldiers are those that think 'hey I played a bit of a music game, I might become a mercenary now'.

Post by **weemadando** » 2008-07-29 05:59am

Lets not forget WPs stories about the critical supplies for their deployments being pallets of TVs and Xboxes.

It's not that it's a bad idea for moral, but the idea of some guys needing Guitar Hero airdropped in is somewhat hilarious.

Stargate Nerd · Post by **Stargate Nerd** » 2008-07-29 01:32pm

So what happens to soldier morale when those 360s start getting the RRODs?

Sidewinder · Post by **Sidewinder** » 2008-07-29 03:35pm

I applaud the effort to improve troop morale, but I don't think airdropping Xboxes is a good idea, due to the probability the impact will destroy the Xbox or the screen. As for 'Guitar Hero', I'm surprised it was chosen over 'Halo'.

Post by **Coyote** » 2008-07-29 03:55pm

"When I was in Baghdad, we'd bring soldiers over to our camp over there, and we'd play this thing for hours on end," Overton said. "Every (military) place I've ever been to overseas, they've got like backgammon and Parcheesi and chess, and they're all gathering dust. But this is the stuff they play at home. And any semblance of home we can give them is best."

Smellin' rats. That was most definitely not the case when I was there, and I was in the second wave after the invasion, OIF-II. We had computer games coming out our ears over there; laptops for sale at the PX; DVDs and CDs being sold out of PX tents, you name it.

Unless they're hitting up some seriously remote locations --"FOB Asscrack" somewhere-- this seems odd.

CaptHawkeye · Post by **CaptHawkeye** » 2008-07-29 04:59pm

Stark wrote:
KlavoHunter wrote:Controversial, but I bet it does a fantastic job of attracting new potential employees...
Yeah, the best soldiers are those that think 'hey I played a bit of a music game, I might become a mercenary now'.

Stark help me. I tried to reload a gun today by pressing the little button on the side but all it did was drop something out of the handle.

Pelranius · Post by **Pelranius** » 2008-07-29 07:02pm

It's fine with me just long as they're doing it on their own money.

I thought there were laws against soliciting active duty personnel for civilian careers though? Or is that just some brain fluff I got off of a show like JAG or NCIS?

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2008-07-29 07:28pm

Stark wrote:
KlavoHunter wrote:Controversial, but I bet it does a fantastic job of attracting new potential employees...
Yeah, the best soldiers are those that think 'hey I played a bit of a music game, I might become a mercenary now'.

your forgetting the bundle they have is pre-packaged with: Bodies-Drowning Pool, Rooster- Alice in Chains, Paint it Black- The Rolling Stones, that Keith Urban song, and every other military related song....

sketerpot · Post by **sketerpot** » 2008-07-30 04:40am

Sidewinder wrote:I applaud the effort to improve troop morale, but I don't think airdropping Xboxes is a good idea, due to the probability the impact will destroy the Xbox or the screen. As for 'Guitar Hero', I'm surprised it was chosen over 'Halo'.

Guitar Hero is a party game. Several people can gather around and play it. It's an efficient use of a console.

Havok · Post by **Havok** » 2008-07-30 04:59am

I bet Stark wouldn't be so bile filled if they air dropped Rock Band for him.

Post by **Coyote** » 2008-07-30 09:47am

havokeff wrote:I bet Stark wouldn't be so bile filled if they air dropped Rock Band for him.

Or an enema bag.

ExarKun · Post by **ExarKun** » 2008-07-30 09:51am

What's wrong with chess?

Shroom Man 777 · Post by **Shroom Man 777** » 2008-07-30 09:54am

Incidentally, I learned to perform cleansing enemas in school.

Are these vital airdropped supplies for free? It would be fun if part of the US State Department's payments to Blackwater ended up paying for these vital airdrops.

StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Blackwater - now airdropping VITAL supplied to the troops.

Blackwater - now airdropping VITAL supplied to the troops.

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