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Travis Martinez - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

The Commission on War Time Contracts expressed concern on Monday over the military's use of contract employees Afghanistan and Iraq.

The independent and bipartisan commission held a series of hearings today investigating how the neglect of defense contracts has led to fraud, waste and abuse by government contracted companies.

“We need to be clear about the role of contractors in supporting the Iraq drawdown, and be sure that numbers of contractor personnel are appropriately geared to the reduction of U.S. Military,” said Co-Chair of the Commission Michael Thibault.

With the deadline for a complete American troop withdrawal in Iraq scheduled for December 21, 2011, the commission is looking into ways to avoid waste while effectively managing supplies that are shipped, sold or donated to residents of the two nations.

“As units move out of bases, the absolute and comparative numbers of contractors may rise to prepare bases for handover or closure, but the general trend should be for declining numbers,” said Thibault.

Although the commission would like to see a drawdown of contractors coincide with a drawdown of troops in Iraq, Rear Admiral Tom Traaen testified that the opposite may occur instead.

“The ratio of contractors to military has been 1:1 for the past several years, but it is predicted this will increase to 1.5:1 by next August,” he said.