KBR Contractor Shot Dead At Camp Speicher In Iraq; Soldier Detained

BAGHDAD (AP)-- A civilian contractor was shot and killed Sunday on an American military base in the Iraqi city of Tikrit and a U.S. soldier has been detained in connection with the incident, the military said.

The contractor was shot at 8:30 a.m. at Camp Speicher, the military said in a statement.

Houston-based KBR confirmed the man killed was one of its employees, 27-year-old Lucas Vinson from Louisiana. No hometown was available.

"As the Army is leading the investigation of the incident, KBR is not providing further comment at this time," spokeswoman Heather Browne said in an e-mailed statement. "We are of course fully cooperating with the Army on its continued investigation."

Maj. Derrick Cheng, a public affairs officer, said a soldier had been detained in connection with the incident, but that he could not divulge any more information while the investigation is ongoing.

"We offer our sincere condolences to the family of the individual," he said.

The U.S. military makes wide use of contractors in Iraq for security, technical support and supply functions.

KBR is the primary support contractor in Iraq, providing troops with essential services, including housing, meals, mail delivery and laundry.

As of June 30, 1,395 civilian employees of U.S. government contractors had been killed in Iraq, according to an AP count.

Comments

[Freedom4242]

Lets not forget that Trent was a person. A son, a grandson, a cousin, and a bestfriend. Let us pray for his family and the family of the soldier that committed this terrible act.

[MikeDu]

The problem is we're discussing this in a complete vacuum. One poster here suggests the KBR guy was murdered for refusing to give a soldier a ride. Is that true? I don't know if words were exchanged, if the firearm discharged accidentally (one Marine accidentally shot aother recently that way), if they knew eachother, if either of them had a previous history of violence, how many tours the soldier was on, if either was suffering from combat trauma. There's a thousand questions and we know nothing.

[ToniaB]

Lucas was returning to his office from breakfast and the armed soldier attempted to hijack his vehicle for a ride to the dining facility claiming that he wanted to get a cup of coffee and kill a few soldiers! Lucas convinced him to let the 2 female passenges in the vehicle go then a stuggle ensued while attempting to disarm the soldier and Lucas was shot 3 times. The soldier had problems with his command and and his actions were the result; he just never anticipated running into a man like Lucas. Lucas was a kind and fun loving young man from Leesville who loved his family, co-workers and everything about Louisiana! He literally took his shirt off his back once to give it to a cab driver because the one the cab driver was wearing was pretty worn out! His actions saved many lives that day and we will never forget him! I pray for his family mourning him back in Leesville...

[cavanets]

AirViceMarshalPark, these are not fighters. KBR contractors are just sevice providers, like the aticle says they are carpenters, cooks, electricians.... they don't even have weapons.
This incedent is just an occurance of a soldier that got bored and a little sand crazy. I'm sure when the public gets the full story there will be A LOT of news stories and statistics and interviews.

[AirViceMarshalPark]

Let's stop calling them "contractors". They are mercenaries.

[bdaved]

And you're an Air Vice Marshall.

[lsufan74]

While I do not want to comment about my relation to Trent, I do want to comment on how hurtful and dreadful some of the above comments are. When the truth comes out, some of the above posters will realize they have opened mouth and inserted their foot. I am appalled at the level of total disrespect for human kind and blatent disrespect for the victim and his family. This country has people so quick to draw conclusions without even having a CLUE as to what really took place.
That being said, I think any comments “GUESSING” or “Making” accusations about this tragedy should not be made, and the people with the urge to do so should practice what I would call “holding your tongue.”
For those offering condolences, thank you.

[HBsCG]

I agree. This has nothing to do with KBR other than that is who Trent worked for... We'll be lucky to see any more information since it was one of our own soliders who killed him.

[tickedoffwife]

I AGREE WITH WITH EVERYTHING ANGRYAMERICAN1 HAS SAID

[AngryAmerican1]

Ya'll need to stop and think about what really happened here, an American Soldier shot an unarmed man for no reason other then he wouldn't give him a ride to KILL other soldiers. Yes KBR has done things that I'm not proud of, but they pay me to do the job the way THEY TELL ME TO!!! KBR wants things done there way. If you don't do it there way you get sent home. Its NOT the workers fault for the deaths of the soldiers, it's KBR they TELL US how THEY want the job done. I work for them now, i know who it is. All of us are "on the clock" 12hrs a day 7 days a week, but the ones (like me) working in the feilds bust our butts to get the job done. The guys I work with bust our a$$ to make sure ya'll have nice cold rooms when ya'll get off of work, or back from a mission. That's what I came over for, that and to make money for my family back home. This 27 year old man (the same age as myself) did not sign up to be killed my his fellow countrymen. We signed up to make ya'lls life here a little bit easier. Hell ya'll could be cooking your own food, maintaing your own houseing, dealing with your own problems, but no we are the ones who set up the MWRs and everything else ya'll need. Pray for both families!

[Dosadi]

I got into a lot of trouble in Vietnam for doing things the way they wanted me to do it. I was reminded that even though I was soldier I never gave up my right to decide whether a command was morally obeyable. Be careful, KBR is in it for the money. If you mess up they will hang you out to dry. CYA my friend, CYA.
Wait a minute, if these soldiers do not have to cook, clean, or do laundry, what the hell happened to the military? A military that cannot do these things for themselves is a joke. This is turning into a social club not a fighting force. No wonder somebody got shot. All leaders know that you have to keep the men busy so as to avoid this type of thing. Why do you think they used to make soldiers march all the time. It was to kill time and keep them from getting bored and then thinking on their own not to look pretty.

[Justice Wainwright]

I didn't want to gas all of those people, but orders is orders and if I didnt do it, Hitler would just find someone else too.

I didn't think torture was legal, but the president sent us a memo saying it was ok to break the law and no one would be held accountable for it.

I didn't want to rape all those chinese civilians, but when the japanese army enters nanking, the japanese army enters nanking.

I didn't want to work for a company that profits from war, greed and bloodshed, but I really need the money.

Take a guess at which of these is a proper excuse for being a part of a violent machine. I will give you a hint.

It rhymes with none.

[lungfish]

This is the same KBR that smeared the women on their payroll who had been systematically raped by their coworkers and dodged any accountability. The same KBR that got 400million bucks from Bushco to build more civilian labor camps for the US Army right here in America.
I have no problem with anyone trying to make a buck, times are hard. But knowing who you are working for and showing some ethics and demanding better of yourself than working for a company that is the right arm of Dick Cheney wouldn't hurt....

[good721]

As regards to KBR, I share most of your comments although you may be directing your dislike of the company to the employees over in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are simply doing the best job that they can under the circumstances. Later news about this shooting may surprise many of you because I have it from a reliable source that two soldiers were also killed by the same assailant.

[HairFarmer]

Too bad he missed the rest of the KBR thieves... give him a medal , you bet !!

[bdaved]

What a simple world you must live in. See the letters KBR, so everything associated with it must be evil, and all that evil is subject to death as punishment. Personally, I don't think having American soldiers killing American civilians is a good thing. I just can't hate a corporation, no matter how odious, enough to rejoice in the killing of its employees.

[AngryAmerican1]

Too bad you are not here right now, me and you would have a little "talk"

[HBsCG]

HairFarmer... the name says it all...

[BraineyRubble]

Give that soldier a medal.

[AngryAmerican1]

Do you want to give all soldiers the kill inocent people medals? What about the soldiers that come home and flip out on there families and kill them? You want to give the medals too? Hell you never know, we just might give medals to ALL the murders, why not. You are a disgrace to the uniform if you even try to justify this cold blooded MURDER! How dare ya'll!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!

[Dosadi]

Our soldiers have been killing innocent Iraqis ever since they got over there. All the medals given out behind this farce of a war was because innocent people got killed. Since Iraq was not quilty of anything that Bush claimed almost all of the Iraqis killed were innocent and yes people have been given medals. We don't know the entire storu about this and never will. It is a tragedy that we must learn from. But we have to keep things in perspective. Our soldiers have occupied an innocent country and once you start down the wrong path, this is what happens. Our soldiers are on an impossible mission and we need to get them out of the middle east now.

[motoGpifupleez]

18 soldiers (that we know of) have been killed by electrocution in KBR built showers, and KBR has yet to be held accountable.
The investigation into this shooting should be interesting.

[MsSparky]

You are very misinformed.

[Dosadi]

True, it is 19 that have been electrocuted by KBR.

[lungfish]

And we all remember the way KBR handled the women who were systematically raped by KBR coworkers and then smeared and finally run off without any hint of justice.....

and the 400million they got from Bushco to build more civilian labor camps right here in America for the Army.....

Not that this has anything to do with a soldier killing a KBR employee, its just that KBR doesn't garner a lot of sympathy...

[GardenerNorCal]

I think until more information is available this article should be pulled from HuffPo. I don't think it's about KBR, I think it's an tragic incident that this article fails even to address except to pit one group against another based on nothing.

[BlackJAC]

This soldier is a political prisoner.

[babyboomerorig]

My sympathies to the young man's family.