Crescent Security Group

mickworldwide

In my experience the maximum load was 10 + 1 BT to 4 gun trucks and 1 covert scout vehicle (believe it or not an excellent asset) I am trying to be mindful of Opsec here but I was aware that some of the fuel contracts were ridiculous .... around 30 - 70 trucks to 2 US Hummers and 3 Private Security. Spartan I believe was the company running this at one point ... not sure who has it now.

some of our clients in the past wanted to run 15 - 20 trucks , luckily the company refused or at the very least demanded a larger security team and additional BTs ... this I recall happening twice in my 3 yrs on convoys ... worked out quite well but the concern was always the command and control when things go wrong....

Roadhog

I remember hearing about the Spartan fuel convoys but never actually saw one... bet those were fun for the escort team. All that potential blackmarket cash driving along....

RonanRaver

tell us all Rafael!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kiwi PSD

Interesting crew.....some photos & interesting reading in a book called "A Bloody Business" even a bit about Wolf Weis being shot up by the unsure Americans & the Iraqi Olympic weightlifter gets his pic in there as well, goes through there MO out of Kuwait, a good read for those considering work in the the pit.

Legioner

Quiet interessting this guy.
Have some specific questions about him and his coy will pm you.
many thanks

nuffsaid

Hi all,

Just got thru reading some of the posts, found the need to clarify certain aspects.

After succesfully escorting 22000 vehicles in and out of Iraq safely the loss to Crescent stats was as follows;
KIA - Wolf Weiss - Blue on White , Anaconda..hve video and still under investigation by JAG for Striker team responsibility
KIA - Mustapha ,Ahmed ( Efp Sulaymaniyah)
RTA - " Bob"

Kidnapped( Murdered) , John Young( Team Leader), Josh Munns( asst Team Leader), Jon Cote, Paul Reuben.Bert Nussbaumer.

As for the Military investigation Crescent was given a 'Clean Bill of Health" and found that all weapons etc were correctly registered and that the Alcohol and Steriods were none other than Centrum A-Z Vitamins and cough syrup!!! It is a fact that Crescent has succesfully challenged the Author Steve FAinaru of WP article depicting CSG of breaking rules etc....
CSG was also investigated by relevant US, NATO teams who concluded that CSG operated well within the constraints of CPA and regulations.....each mission concluded had complete satellite tracking history, operations report, Team leader report as well as video of mission completed.

Missions undertaken were also FOC humanitarian missions,

Also to inform you guys Crescent offered to pay all ransom demands etc...but none were recieved.
Crescent did not close and thats why we managed to find the guys and bring them home, also a somber note is that Crescent with the FBI and Brit mil has caught the perpertrators and they will now face justice Iraqi style! I challenge any other Security operator who's employer would have done the same for them if they were in the same predicament.......no news on the SA four after the CSG kidnapping or the 5 Brits taken from the MOF in BAghdad 6 months later!

I apologise if I have upset anybody but to those who know me, know that my word is my life! I will not even go onto the weapons etc...Crescent was authorised to carry everything . The armoury consisted of M4's,Ak's, SAW's, PKM's, 240B's; and more....serial numbers available.

nuff said

Argyll

Mate, I'm curious to a lot of your claims, if Crescent didn't close, they stopped doing convoys, what's the difference?
Did the families receive the Insurances from Crescent because it's been reported that they did not.
I knew a few Crecent guys who were based in Adder.....

I'm a little sceptical of your claims that Crescent offered to pay the ransoms, this sounds like it's Company line, I take it you were part of the management there?

I was in Basra COB when the remains of the guys were repatriated, I didn't see any Crescent guys for the 9 months I was there, running Convoys, their camps at Safwan and Adder were no longer in use....doesn't sound like a company still operating to me mate.
The reputation of Crescent was NOT the best in Iraq, their website broke so many OPSEC and PERSEC issues, right down to how they rolled, and had guys faces splashed all over it....Then there was the Rolling Stone Article about Wolf Weiss, "The Rock and Roll Mercenary" it done nothing to enhance contractors images in Iraq.
What happened to the 5 lads were a travesty, and should never have happened, but it did.....as for the 5 Brit lads, just because you're no hearing anything in the media, does not mean there are things ongoing behind the scenes, the FO have asked for no media involvement, I know 4 of the guys personally, and am in touch with friends with one of them on a regular basis....thay have NOT been forgotten.....as for the 4 SA's that's a weird one, I even heard they robbed this convoy themseleves and "dissapeared" but again, it's only rumours.

Crescent did not have a good reputation amongst other Security companys in Iraq for whatever reasons....

Ivan67

I was an ERS Agent for them. The pay was wonderful @ 2500 USD per day me and the other agent had all the equipment we requested to the letter. As for their convoy security section that was another story. Bunch of guys that got out of the military to avoid war, they found that all the given necessities i.e. food, housing, insurance coverage was not as easy to secure when Uncle Sam is not holding your hand.

This was not the place for them but they had that 650 USD per day flash before their eyes and they thought it was good pay. In the end SOS had the intelligence on the kidnapped. The boys were recovered silence was paid for and SOS took over their contracts.

SOS then brought in some Australians for the ERS side of the house because they are much cheaper. To this day SOS in still trying to get American ERS Agents back in place but can not since they decided to ruin their contract with cheaper work.

nuffsaid

Argyll,

Glad u were there when the bodies arrived ( including Withrow)of the Crescent Guys on the 3 occasions....I must have missed you..... the 5 Crescent families next of kin were paid USD 300,000 per person insured, as per policy


I am not going to get into a He said She said scenario but I was in Basra personally doing the legwork and arranging informants etc since 2006 Nov.I am still currently following up with this case inclusive of "others". Crescent closed the lot in Safwan after the US Military moved the crossing to AL Kubairi crossing, some 40Km's from the original Navstar...

I can appreciate that certains things done by the "director of Security" was not correct but I cannot stand back and listen to the crap that is percieved! Unfortunately or fortunately everything I have is documented and recorded. I have never beleived in heresay . To quote russian KGB " Make the lie as big as possible, people will believe it more". Is that not what Journalists do.......How many of the comments or perceptions stem from the article of WP...it is a bit like been a prostitute, the more you perform the more you get screwed.


Have you personaly ever seen Crescent whilst they were on a mission in Iraq?

I am not slamming the 5 brits or SA's 4 and rest assured I am sure that resolution is close by. I can only hope that they are returned to their families alive or in a better shape the Crescent 5 and Withrow were returned in!

John Twells

Be careful as the Arab world considers your working in any of the Sandpits as potentally being against their Muslim Brothers. Their is also still bad blood between Kuwait and Iraq. For in country advise reach out to any of the ASIS members working and living in Kuwait who may have contacts with local security companies. JT.