Ep 015 "Freeboot Reboot: 21st Century PMC in War""

About this episode

This episode examines the role and evolution of private military companies in modern warfare.

Effective 20 June 2025, I did a major improved revision on the sound quality for all my WarNotes episodes retroactively thanks to the technology at Podsworth. This episode examines what private military companies and campaigns look like. I discuss traditional and emerging trends in private military warfare which tends to still take place in nation-state warfare. While combat support and combat service support billets have been filled with private military entities for all know history, the emergence of larger and larger forces of private kinetic and trigger puller entities has gotten larger over time. References: 'The last supper': How a 1993 Pentagon dinner reshaped the defense industry... Erik Prince at Hillsdale: "The Future of Dynamic Warfare" Sean McFate Mercenaries and War: Understanding Private Armies Today The mercenary boom: How private military contractors are redefining modern warfare International Stability Operations Association Eeben Barlow Executive Outcomes: Against all Odds Al J. Venter War Dog: Fighting Other People's Wars *** HR Kedward In Search of the Maquis: Rural Resistance in Southern France, 1942-1944 George Millar Maquis: An Englishman in the French…

People in this episode

Host: Bill Buppert

Topics covered

• private military companies
• warfare trends
• nation-state warfare
• combat support
• private military contractors
• modern warfare

Keywords

• private military companies
• warfare
• combat support
• Erik Prince
• Sean McFate
• Eeben Barlow
• mercenaries
• modern warfare
• nonstate warfare

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Mercenaries and War: Understanding Private Armies Today, War Dog: Fighting Other People's Wars, In Search of the Maquis: Rural Resistance in Southern France, 1942-1944, Maquis: An Englishman in the French Resistance, SAS with the Maquis: In Action with the French Resistance, June–September 1944, Nonstate Warfare: The Military Methods of Guerillas, Warlords, and Militias

Places: Tampa

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