Investigation Of Contracting In War Zone Keeps Growing The Defense Department is investigating possible criminal activity in the award of up to $6 billion in contracts for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, DOD’s deputy inspector general said. Ninety active investigations are targeting military and civilian government personnel as well as contractors from the United States and other nations, principal deputy inspector general Thomas Gimble told the House Armed Services Committee on Sept. 20. He said nine Americans and one foreign individual have already been convicted of felonies: “Some prosecutions have occurred and others are anticipated.” He provided further details to the committee in a classified briefing. Many of the cases came out of the Army contracting office at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. A major assigned to the base has been charged with taking $9.6 million in bribes, in a conspiracy involving his wife and sister. All have pleaded not guilty. At least two officers from the base committed suicide after being accused of taking bribes, the New York Times reported. Committee Chairman Ike Skelton, D-MO, said, “These problems were so severe that I fear they could represent a culture of corruption, at least in this one location.” Pentagon officials blamed a few bad apples for the problem, along with overworked and undertrained contracting personnel. Army Secretary Pete Geren has assigned an internal task force to review the Kuwait contracting shop and report its findings by Sept. 30. Geren also named a Special Commission on Army Contracting, made up of outsiders, to conduct a broader examination of wartime procurement practices and recommend improvements. That group’s report is due by mid-October. Nearly two years ago Congress directed the Army to create three “contingency contract brigades” for quick deployment to war zones. Army officials said the brigades are only now being activated.