So they needed a group of contractors down there to protect the workers, as well as to help destroy the coke labs that the FARC were involved in. That was because most of their interactions were leading to firefights, and they were worried that it was going to develop into an international incident. Because of the politics at the time (it was 1996), the special forces group assigned to the area was not able to get involved with the situation directly. The FARC was also controlling the farmers in the area, threatening their lives to keep them growing cocaine in their fields, all while playing the good guys to the locals by spreading around the dirty money. They would damage the oil lines, and if the oil companies tried to send people to fix it, they would kill them until they were paid a few millions dollars. At that point in time the drug war was really escalating and the bad guys, aka the FARC, had a dangerous new tactic for making money. I was just coming back from my first job in Azerbaijan when an old buddy came to me saying they were going to Colombia.
Corporations that risk returning to war zones to build infrastructure are at risk, and regular security is not going to cut it. But when war happens, infrastructure is damaged.
But they are necessary, because the rules of our country and our great Constitution don’t allow for soldiers to be used as security for businesses. Not many people really know what military contractors do, and not many movies have gotten it right, so it can be hard to explain. I think because of that I was a good candidate for contracting work. I started as a radio guy, then went into parachuting and first leadership school, studying everything from languages to tactics. During my time in the army and then the Green Berets, I learned a lot of different skills.
His story appears as told to Charles Thorp, and has been edited and condensed for clarity.īack when I was in the special forces, the only way that you got into military contracting was by word of mouth. Here, he describes a deployment to Colombia during the height of the drug war. He has also authored several books on wilderness survival.įollowing his active duty, Hawke worked in several war-torn countries as a military contractor. His unique experience and charisma made him an asset to Hollywood as well, where he became a go-to consultant on television and film productions, all while still working closely with the military. Mykel Hawke is a former Green Beret who followed his 12 years of service with 12 years in the Reserves.
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