Are US mercenaries legal?

The Geneva Conventions declare that mercenaries are not recognized as legitimate combatants and do not have to be granted the same legal protections as captured service personnel of the armed forces.
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Is it illegal to fight as a mercenary?

Mercenaries have been banned by several treaties like the UN Mercenary Convention, which prohibits states from recruiting, using, financing and training mercenaries and requires them to criminalize mercenarism domestically.
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Are you allowed to be a mercenary?

International law prohibits the use of mercenaries in armed conflict and certain peaceful situations.
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Can mercenaries be legally executed?

[25] Consequently, the summary execution of mercenaries is prohibited. According to this rule, States are free to grant prisoner-of-war status to a mercenary or withhold it, but the mercenary has no right to claim such status as a defence against prosecution.
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How much do American mercenaries make?

The average mercenary salary in the USA is $75,000 per year or $36.06 per hour. Entry level positions start at $50,000 per year while most experienced workers make up to $100,000 per year.
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The Mercenaries For Hire Behind U.S. Wars | AJ+



Can US citizens hire mercenaries?

The use and recruitment of mercenaries are legally forbidden by the 1989 International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries. A mercenary is defined as any person who is specially recruited locally or abroad in order to fight in an armed conflict.
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How much does the US pay Blackwater?

How much does Blackwater Security in the United States pay? Average Blackwater Security hourly pay ranges from approximately $15.75 per hour for Security Officer to $17.49 per hour for Patrol Officer.
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What happens if a mercenary is captured?

According to the GC III, a captured soldier must be treated as a lawful combatant and, therefore, as a protected person with prisoner-of-war status until facing a competent tribunal (GC III Art 5).
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Is hiring mercenaries a war crime?

The 1989 International Convention made the recruitment, use, training, and financing of mercenaries illegal. It also forbids the recruitment of people to fight in an armed conflict or for private gain.
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Why are mercenaries banned?

By the 20th century, the market for force was defunct. The mid-century surge in underground private warfare prompted Geneva Protocols I and II in 1977 that banned mercenaries. The primary objection is that they were warriors without a state, fighting for money rather than national ideology.
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Are mercenaries rich?

Some mercenaries make $500 to $1,500 per day. Interrogators are rumored to make up to $14,000 per week. The salary ranges from $89,000 to $250,000 per year. Employer, experience, expertise, specialty, location, and danger potential ultimately determine the paycheck.
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Is Blackwater a mercenary?

In the book, Scahill contends that Blackwater exists as a mercenary force, and argues that Blackwater's rise is a consequence of the demobilization of the US military following the Cold War and its overextension in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Are mercenaries still active?

But, that old-world definition of a mercenary — those who will wage war on behalf of someone else in the name of profit — is still unfortunately relevant. These mercenaries are known as private military contractors (PMCs) today.
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What rights do mercenaries have?

According to the Geneva Convention Protocol 1, mercenaries are defined as “unlawful combatants” and do not, therefore, have the right to be considered combatants or to be taken as prisoners of war.
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How long do mercenary contracts last?

Mercenary contracts last for 30 days in Warband, and can be renewed for another 30 days. The contract can be renewed indefinitely. In With Fire & Sword, the initial contract is 90 days, though renewing it will still be for 30 days. Mercenaries will be paid a random amount every week.
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Why do mercenaries wear masks?

To keep their identity private.

If their identity were to be made public, there could be severe negative repercussions.
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What countries use mercenaries?

The OERI expert listed Angola, Sierra Leone, G5 Sahel nations, Sudan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and CAR as some of the African countries that have resorted to the services of private mercenary forces in the past. But criticism of using mercenaries in Africa is growing.
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Who currently owns Blackwater?

It was renamed Xe Services in 2009, and was again renamed Academi in 2011 after it was acquired by a group of private investors. In 2014, Academi merged with Triple Canopy, a subsidiary of Constellis Group. Later, Academi was fully integrated into the parent company, and now operates under the name Constellis.
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Do US soldiers get paid while deployed?

Military members deployed to areas of combat or to combat support operations receive hostile fire pay/imminent danger pay (HFP/IDP) and the combat zone tax exclusion (CZTE). HFP/IDP provides $225 for any month or part of a month the member is deployed to a combat zone or to a designated immi- nent danger area.
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How do I become a mercenary without military experience?

Here are some steps you can use to start your career as a private military contractor if you have no prior military experience:
  1. Earn a degree. ...
  2. Complete firearms training. ...
  3. Maintain your physical fitness. ...
  4. Ensure you meet all qualifications. ...
  5. Gain experience in a security or defense role.
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Does the CIA hire mercenaries?

However, what is so mind-boggling is the fact that they are part of the overt and covert operations of the CIA. Here are 25 mercenary armies recruited by the CIA in its efforts to provide military support to countries in need.
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How do you become a US mercenary?

The majority of classic mercenary-like jobs on the market today typically require past military or law enforcement experience. Even better, is previous experience working in the special forces of the army, USMC, navy, or air force if seeking the higher paying security-related jobs available on the market.
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Can military force be used on US citizens?

The Posse Comitatus Act is a United States federal law (18 U.S.C. § 1385, original at 20 Stat. 152) signed on June 18, 1878, by President Rutherford B. Hayes which limits the powers of the federal government in the use of federal military personnel to enforce domestic policies within the United States.
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Are mercenary criminals?

Under the two mercenary Conventions, mercenarism is considered a crime, whereas under international humanitarian law, being a mercenary is not per se a violation of the Geneva Conventions or Protocols.
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