Why did Blackwater changed its name?

In February 2009, private-security firm Blackwater announced that it would be changing its name to Xe (pronounced Zee) in an attempt to escape the dark cloud it had been under since five of its guards were indicted on charges related to a 2007 shooting that left 17 unarmed Iraqi civilians dead.

What is Blackwater now called?

Blackwater was an American private military company founded on December 26, 1996, by former Navy SEAL officer Erik Prince. It was renamed Xe Services in 2009, and was again renamed Academi in 2011 after it was acquired by a group of private investors.

Why did Blackwater get shut down?

Blackwater guards claimed that the convoy was ambushed and that they fired at the attackers in defense of the convoy. The Iraqi government and Iraqi police investigator Faris Saadi Abdul stated that the killings were unprovoked. The next day, Blackwater Worldwide's license to operate in Iraq was temporarily revoked.

What is the dark truth about Blackwater?

But Blackwater has earned a special reputation among Iraqis. Much of this stems from the highly visible role it has played in escorting U.S. officials. Iraqi government officials claim that there have been at least seven incidents of civilian harm in which the company has been involved.

What is the largest private army in the world?

Currently Blackwater (Xe Services LLC, Academi) is the largest organization of its kind in the world. The company has a headquarters located in North Carolina.

Blackwater Changes Name Again (And Again)

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.

How many soldiers did Blackwater have?

According to a book written on Blackwater in 2007, the facility had by then produced an army of 20,000 troops, 20 aircraft, a fleet of armored vehicles and trained war dogs. Most of those resources were shipped to Iraq and Afghanistan on U.S. government contracts.

Why was Blackwater created?

Blackwater USA began in 1997 by Al Clark and Erik Prince. They started out as a private security firm providing training support to law enforcement, the justice department, and military organizations and received their first contract from the United States government in 2000 after the bombing of the USS Cole.

How do I join Blackwater?

(1) Three (3) years of military, similar police, or local guard force experience. (2) Familiarity with physical security and access control matters. This experience and background may have been gained in any of the following assignments: U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service.

How many Blackwater contractors died?

The ambush

The four armed contractors, Scott Helvenston, Jerry Zovko, Wesley Batalona, and Mike Teague, were killed and dragged from their vehicles. Their bodies were beaten and burned, with their charred corpses then dragged through the city streets before being hanged over a bridge crossing the Euphrates River.

What is Raven 23?

The four defendants and 15 other Blackwater security contractors were assigned to a convoy of four heavily-armed trucks known as a Tactical Support Team, using the call sign “Raven 23.” Shortly before noon, Raven 23 learned that a car bomb had detonated in central Baghdad near a location where a U.S official was being ...

How powerful is Blackwater?

With its own military base, a fleet of 20 aircraft, and 20,000 troops at the ready, Blackwater is the elite Praetorian Guard for the “global war on terror.” Meet Blackwater USA, the powerful private army that the U.S. government has quietly hired to operate in international war zones and on American soil.

Why is Blackwater a problem?

Severe (hypoxic) blackwater events decrease water quality. When too much oxygen is removed from the water, fish and other organisms struggle to breathe and may suffocate and die. Large fish like the Murray cod need more oxygen, so they tend to die first. Blackwater events also affect communities that use the river.

Are 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.

Does Blackwater have an air force?

Blackwater has another affiliate known as Presidential Airways which also has a number of registered aircraft. The Pumas were former Bundespolizei and were purchased from HELOG. EP Aviation is active in Afghanistan and Iraq.

What does Blackwater mean slang?

Definition. According to one source: Blackwater is the mixture of urine, feces and flushwater along with anal cleansing water (if water is used for cleansing) and/or dry cleansing materials.

What does Blackwater stand for?

Sewage discharge (also known as blackwater) contains pollutants including nutrients, metals, toxins and pathogens.

What is the most powerful PMC in the world?

The best-known and the most infamous PMC in the world – Academi (ex-Xe, ex-Blackwater) is possibly the most advanced in terms of their aerial capabilities.

Who are the most feared PMCs?

I found that many people identified Gurkhas from Aegis and Wagner snipers as the most dangerous and most fearsome private military contractors out there.

What was the largest mercenary army in history?

1. The Ten Thousand. As chronicled in the historian Xenophon's “Anabasis,” the “Ten Thousand” were a motley assortment of Greek warriors contracted by Cyrus the Younger to help oust his brother King Artaxerxes II from the Persian throne.

Do mercenaries still exist?

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.

Do private soldiers make money?

In most cases, privates earn $1,468 a month, captains earn $4,952 a month, and all other combat soldiers fall somewhere in between. The tradeoff is that soldiers are full-time employees.

Do mercenaries get paid well?

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.