We sit down with Erik Prince, co-founder of Blackwater and the face of an industry that generally tries to stay out of the limelight. Listen in as he talks about the history of Blackwater, his vision for the war in Afghanistan and what he views as the mistakes the military has made there over these past 17 years

Even though the name is relegated to history, Blackwater remains the first thought that springs to mind when most think of private military contractors. In this episode, we delve into its history and how its success and failures changed American foreign policy forever.

This week on Force for Hire we’re taking a step back from the politics and controversy surrounding private military contracting and talking to a man who knows what it’s like to be both a soldier and a private operator.

In this inaugural episode, we talk to self-described mercenary Sean McFate and international security affairs analyst David Isenberg to learn more about some of the pros and cons of outsourcing America’s military operations.

Some call them mercenaries that take jobs away from active-duty soldiers. Others call them a necessary component of modern warfare. Come with us as we try to find the truth in our new podcast, Force for Hire.