MPRI: Washington's New Private Army
[private security; military; Africa]

"Growth potential in national security issues—both in the U.S. and abroad—is virtually limitless ... the only game in town for quality military outsourcing services on all levels. The time for contractors on the battlefield is here. MPRI is leading the charge."1

Founded in late 1987, Military Professional Resources, Inc. (MPRI), "provides military training, education, professional, analytic, and business management services to the U.S. government as well as carefully selected U.S. government- sanctioned international and commercial customers."

The company offers expertise in military education, training, force design and management, concepts, doctrine, simulation training, humanitarian assistance, and rapid military contractual support. It boasts that "the company can assist the United States in shaping a peaceful and prosperous world, while expanding the market for its services in a highly profitable manner."2

In its first full year, 1988, MPRI had revenues of only $300,000; it now has what it calls a "corporate bottom line" of $52 million, with $7 million in working capital. Its stock is now worth $64 a share, up $10 from last year. In July 1999, it made a special $1 million profit distribution to shareholders. MPRI has 425 full- time employees and a database roster of more than 8,000 military and civilian experts on call.

Shopping the Global Marketplace

MPRI is currently working in at least seven countries, Bosnia- Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Taiwan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Nigeria. Its role in the Military Stabilization Program in Bosnia, with some 200 personnel in country, accounted for 54 percent of its 1998 revenues.3 Its training programs in Croatia, including armed forces readiness, democracy transition, and long range management, brought in another 11 percent.  

It runs training exercises for U.S. troops in Kuwait, for Taiwan's army, and for the Royal Saudi Armed Forces. It also is working on a new program to "redesign" the Nigerian Ministry of Defense and the roles and missions of the armed forces.

MPRI has planned operations scheduled for Ukraine, South Korea, Indonesia, Philippines, Madagascar, Angola, Equitorial Guinea, Senegal, Ghana, and Norway. The $2 million program in Angola, for which they are actively recruiting, is to commence in February 2000, if approved by the State Department. The program will provide military training and armed forces consolidation. Its relationship to the ongoing civil war and to former UNITA forces is unclear. MPRI has proposed a joint project with Lockheed- Martin for combat training in Norway.4

Tilling New Ground

In addition to this long and growing list of active, imminent, or potential MPRI programs, a new priority, for both the company and Washington, involves Africa. MPRI has a $400,000 contract with the Africa Crisis Response Initiative, an interagency program set up at the urging of the State Department. The initiative has current or planned rapid deployment training programs in six African countries.

Another key to the Africa program is the Pentagon- sponsored Africa Center for Strategic Studies, which seeks to promote inter- African and U.S.- Africa dialogue on issues such as national military policies, civilian- military relationships, and defense resource management. With Pentagon support, MPRI plans to establish a training facility in Africa and expects to provide instructional and training personnel. It is likely this facility will be in either Nigeria or Ghana.

The growth potential is not just "virtually limitless" outside U.S. borders, but at home as well. In 1998, 31 percent of MPRI's profits were generated at home. With 13 retired generals and one retired admiral on its board, the company has working relations with a substantial and growing number of Pentagon elements.5 MPRI's Harry Soyster boasts: "They've entrusted their future leaders to us."6

In addition, MPRI has similar contracts with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the Department of State, the Commerce Department, and the Defense Department.

Some of these contracts include: cooperation with the Special Operations Command in the area of psychological operations, including "peacekeeping" and "humanitarian" deployments; training overseas defense attaches for the Defense Intelligence Agency; designing world- wide management and staffing for the Army Materiel Command; rewriting Army field manuals; promoting the sales of U.S. weapons; and designing drug interdiction programs for the border with Mexico.

Given its rapid expansion and its already deep and far- reaching presence, MPRI is a major new force to be reckoned with. It has influence in the most sensitive reaches of the U.S. government, and in many foreign governments as well.

—Louis Wolf

Endnotes:

1._See the MPRI web site, www.mpri.com. The company's aggressive, profit- oriented, self- promotion has been largely conceived by the vice- president of its strategic division, Dr. Christopher Shoemaker. His Army experience included service at the National Security Council (1979- 81), as senior speechwriter for the Army Chief of Staff (1989- 91), and as Commander of the 8th Infantry Division in Germany (1991- 93).

2._Ibid.

3._In Bosnia, MPRI conducts seminars on defense and military leadership in a democracy, security readiness, and military intelligence and security.

4._MPRI also has potential projects in various stages involving operations in Albania, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Georgia, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Namibia, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Argentina.

5._These include the U.S. Special Operations Command, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Army War College, the Advanced Research Projects Agency, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Army Force Management School, the U.S. Atlantic Command, the Army Materiel Command, the U.S. Army Recruiting Command, the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, and the Reserve Officer Training Corps.