by David Phinney
Jan. 25, 2007 —
The invitation goes something like this:
Kellogg Brown and Root requests the pleasure of your company at an awards ceremony in honor of KBR employees to receive the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedom on Friday, the ninth of February at nine o’clock.
Ballroom C, Hilton Post Oak
Houston Texas
R.S.V.P. Dress:
(713) 753-3091 Civilian- Sunday Attire
scott.botth2@kbr.com Military Class A Uniform
This little soiree raises some interesting questions:
1) Will everyone have to first sign an insurance waiver before receiving the medal?
2) Is this only for the employees working directly for KBR or the others working for KBR’s offshore tax shelter subsidiary headquarted in the Cayman Islands, aka, Service Employees International, Inc.? The subsidiary that also operates outside ofr U.S. labor laws?
3) If SEII employees are eligible, then will the tens of thousands of low-paid laborers who were assigned substandard housing, had their passports taken away and no body armor also be receiving medals?
Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld announced today the creation of the Defense of Freedom medal to honor civilian employees of the Department of Defense injured or killed in the line of duty. Sept. 27, 2001.
Halliburton will help its combat-zone employees get the honors and recognition they deserve — if they promise not to sue the company. That’s according to new documents released today by Senate Democrats.
Ray Stannard was a truck driver in Iraq for Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown and Root. In 2004, he was part of a fuel convoy that was ambushed by insurgents. Seven Americans died in the attack and 26 were injured, including Stannard. He is suing the company.
His company knew the convoy’s route was dangerous and unprotected, he says, but sent the convoy through anyway. “What they did was murder,” Stannard told CBS News recently. “And I stick by that.”
Stannard didn’t sign the form. He received the medal. And he filed suit against the company the following May.
CorpWatch has found that Halliburton makes use of one Cayman Island subsidiary, Service Employees International, Inc., to employ an estimated 70 percent of its workers from the United States and elsewhere for a major Pentagon contract for military support services.
Company spokeswoman Cathy Gist offered no comment on this employment practice but said in an e-mail earlier this summer that all Service Employees International, Inc. employees are covered by U.S. workplace rules.
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=11575
One of the most appalling moments during yesterday’s hearing came when a memo surfaced that Halliburton had sent to its ex-employees, stating that the company would help them obtain a Secretary of Defense Medal of Freedom, which they were entitled to receive for being wounded by hostile action while serving on a government contract, if they signed and returned a medical records release form. A tacit admission by Halliburton that the Bush administration is too incompetent to figure out how to award the medals without help from their cronies?
Paragraph 9. Release: I agree that in consideration for the application for a Defense of Freedom Medal on my behalf that on behalf of myself, my heirs, executors, administrators, assigns and successors, I hereby release, acquit and discharge and do hereby release, acquit and discharge KBR, all KBR employees, the Military and any of their representatives (in both their official and individual capacities), collectively and individually, with respect to and from any and all claims and any and all causes of action, of any kind of character, whether now known or unknown, I may have against any of them which exist as of the date of this authorization and all claims or causes of action arising from or related to this authorization or the use or disclosure of the information or Protected Information described in section 1 aboube bay any of teh aforementioned parties. This release also applies to any claims brought by any person or agency or class action under which I may have a right or benefit.
http://democrats.senate.gov/dpc/hearings/hearing37/allenallexhibits.pdf
Mr. Stannard
jennifer Caldwell — Government operations, LogCap III – 4100 Clinton Dr. Houston, Tx. 713-751-4538 on November 11, 2004
Medical release form
This form authorizes me to share your medical records with the Pentagon Review Boards for the purposes of awarding you the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedom
“The defense of Freedom Medal is an honor bestowed on rare occasions to government contractorswho are wounded in hostile acts while serving on a government contract. You most certainly qualify, and I am working to ensure that you receive this much deserved piece of recognition. Due to the steps involved in awarding the medal, it usually takes 6 months to approve. If you have any questions regarding your nomination or the Medal in general, please do not hesitate to contact me at the numbers below.
Thank you for your hard work and sacrifice while working for KBR. I wish you the best of luck in the future. Jennifer Caldwell, Special Projects Liaison.
