Moving Out

Defense officials have reported an 11 percent decrease in Defense Department contractors in Iraq between Dec 31, 2008 and March 31. The reduction -- from 148,050 to 132,610 -- is due to "ongoing efforts to reduce the contractor footprint" in that country, states a May 2009 Pentagon information paper.

The numbers in Afghanistan also are down -- from 60,563 in the last quarter of 2008 to 51,776 in the first quarter of this year, according to the document. This includes a reduction of 9,000 local workers and an addition of roughly 3,500 U.S. workers over the reporting period.

So, do those numbers belie DOD's pledge to employ Afghans and buy from local companies whenever possible?

Maybe, maybe not. The numbers should be taken with a grain of salt because they are due to "revised reporting procedures," as the information paper puts it.

"The data system previously used in census collection (Joint Contingency Contracting System -- JCCS) was found to have been duplicating reported numbers on task order contracts," the document states.