Military Professional Resources Inc.
| Company type | Private military contractor |
|---|---|
| Industry | Defense, Security |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Founder | Carl E. Vuono and seven other former high-ranking military officers |
| Headquarters | Alexandria, Virginia , United States |
Key people | Bantz J. Craddock (President), Carl E. Vuono (CEO) |
| Products | Military training, defense contracts, security services |
L-3 MPRI operated as a private military contractor, providing services to a range of clients including the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, various law enforcement agencies, international governments, and commercial enterprises.
Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, the company was led by President retired US Army General Bantz J. Craddock and CEO Carl E. Vuono.
History
Established in 1987 by a group of eight former high-ranking military officers, among them founder and ex-Army Chief of Staff Carl E. Vuono, L-3 MPRI later incorporated General William F. Kernan into its leadership. In June 2000, it was integrated as a division within L-3 Communications Corporation, focusing on Command, Control, and Communications; Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C3ISR); government-related services; training and simulation; aircraft upgrades; and homeland security solutions. After a corporate restructuring, L-3 MPRI became part of the standalone ENGILITY Corporation.
Training
The workforce at MPRI largely consisted of retired U.S. military members and reservists who oversaw Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs at more than 200 universities, supported recruitment efforts for the U.S. Army, and conducted training for soldiers both within the United States and internationally. Their global footprint extended to training foreign military forces in countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq, Kuwait, and South Africa. The company’s approach combined expertise from military operations, law enforcement, disaster response, diplomacy, and private industry to deliver comprehensive services.
In 1995, under authorization from the U.S. government, MPRI trained the Croatian Army prior to Operation Storm. This included officer instruction at Zagreb’s "Petar Zrinski" military academy and cooperation with a French Foreign Legion training facility near Zadar. Although some debate exists regarding MPRI’s influence on Croatian military tactics, a 1999 study by the U.S. Army War College concluded that their impact was minimal.
MPRI also provided security-related training to over 120 African leaders and more than 5,500 troops. Following the 1995 Dayton Accords, the company secured a $140 million contract to train the Army of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, followed by an additional $50 million ‘Train and Equip’ contract starting in July 1996. These agreements involved reforming defense ministry structures, creating training policies, establishing combat training centers at Hadzici and Livno, and overseeing an arms transfer program valued approximately at $100 million. Nonetheless, evaluations revealed limited success in achieving long-term integration of logistics systems within the Federation army.
Furthermore, forces trained by MPRI were involved in defending the presidential residence of Equatorial Guinea’s leader Teodoro Obiang Nguema during an assault.
Defense contracts
During the early 1990s, MPRI obtained a five-year agreement with the U.S. State Department to distribute donated medical supplies and food aid to former Soviet republics.
In 1998, Equatorial Guinea engaged MPRI to evaluate its defense capabilities with an emphasis on establishing a coast guard to safeguard oil installations. Initially blocked by the U.S. State Department due to concerns over human rights abuses in the country, MPRI successfully secured licensing approval in 2000 after lobbying efforts. The specifics of this contract were not publicly disclosed.
In 1999, MPRI entered into an 18-month contract worth $4.3 million with Colombia’s military focused on combating drug trafficking; however, this partnership ended in 2001 following disagreements over tactical advice.
By 2006, MPRI employed at least 500 individuals working under twelve contracts in Iraq that included mentoring civilian personnel within the Ministry of Defense. Under Department of Defense agreements, MPRI also delivered training and advisory support to the Afghan National Army as well as logistical assistance across regional locations.
Additionally, MPRI collaborated with the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs by providing pre-deployment instruction to African military forces such as Uganda’s UPDF engaged in African Union missions in Somalia.
Lawsuit
A collective of Serbs from the Republic of Serbian Krajina initiated a $10.4 billion legal claim against MPRI, accusing the company of involvement in training and equipping Croatian forces during Operation Storm, which allegedly resulted in ethnic cleansing and harm to civilians.
Under a 1994 military agreement between the United States and Croatia, MPRI provided brigade-level training to Croatian troops and is reported to have offered strategic support related to Operation Storm. It is also claimed that U.S. satellite intelligence was shared with Croatian military strategists. After the operation, Croatia deepened its collaboration with MPRI and restructured its armed forces with guidance from U.S. advisors.
According to court filings, Croatian officials engaged with MPRI executives—who were former military and intelligence personnel—to modernize Croatia’s military capabilities for Operation Storm, aiming to remove Serb populations. Although MPRI’s official role was confined to supporting democratization efforts, the plaintiffs contend that the company was aware its training would enable forced displacement and violence against Serbs.
In 2014, Judge John Lee dismissed the lawsuit based on lack of jurisdiction concerning the Yugoslav Wars but permitted claims related to civil conspiracy involving property trespass and conversion to move forward. The evidence presented pointed to systematic looting and destruction of properties owned by Serbs at the hands of Croatian forces during the conflict.
This legal case underscores contentious issues surrounding MPRI’s international defense contracts and raises questions about corporate accountability in areas affected by armed conflict.
Further reading
- Deborah Avant, The Market for Force: The Consequences of Privatising Security, Cambridge University Press, 2005
- Fred Tanner, Security Sector Reform: Lessons from Bosnia and Hercegovina, Geneva Centre for Security Policy, paper for DCAF-IISS Workshop on Security Sector Reform, April 2001
- Randolph Hampton, Bosnia to Uganda-Distant Voices, University of California Press, 2013
External links
- America’s For-Profit Secret Army
- Peter W. Singer, Warriors for Hire in Iraq, SALON.COM, Apr. 15, 2004,
http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2004/04/15/warriors/index.html