re: #164 ObserverArt

The role of corporations at war has increased over the decades. During World War II contractors accounted for only 10 percent of the military workforce, compared with 50 percent in the Iraq War—a 1:1 ratio of contractors to military personnel. In recent times, the number of contractors supporting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan has reached historic proportions. In 2010 the United States deployed 175,000 troops and 207,000 contractors in war zones.
http://www.vice.com/read/wall-street-at-war-0000515-v21n12?utm_source=vicetwitterus

“…from 1999 to 2008, US Department of Defense contract obligations—for both security and non-security functions—increased from $165 billion to $414 billion.”