Front Line Experience - The Times
Lieutenant-Colonel Tim Spicer, the chief executive of Aegis Defence Services, is often described as a mercenary. It's a term that this veteran of the Falklands conflict rejects, along with much of his media coverage. "Most of what is written about me is complete rubbish, with little substance or accuracy," he says. "It would only bother me if it had an impact on the company. I see myself as a straightforward person, running an effective operation."
Most of that is in Iraq, where Aegis is contracted by the US Government to provide security during reconstruction. "We have about 1,200 people in Iraq, a mix of expats and Iraqi nationals. It's extremely dangerous work. People on the ground are at risk all the time and we have lost a number to suicide bombers.
"The private security sector is not well understood and the pejorative 'mercenary' is used. There is no question of that applying to any of the professional and transparent businesses conducting work for legitimate governments and commercial organisations.
"People come into this sector for varied reasons. Of course it is well paid, as you would expect for doing something dangerous, but I don't think that money is the prime motivator. A lot of people leave the Services wanting to use their skills, and we give them that opportunity.
"We'll be in Iraq for however long we are needed, and that is hard to predict. The motivation, effort and determination among people to forge a new type of Iraq is impressive. It is not an easy place to travel to and operate in, but the peace plan is paying off. However, the insurgency problem means that there is no quick fix."
Sarah Smith, his 28-year-old staff assistant, went to Aegis after six years at the Ministry of Defence, based in Whitehall. "I did all kinds of secretarial and admin roles there and enjoyed my job," she explains. "But it was frustrating in that you never got to see the results. Aegis gives me the opportunity to get out on the ground."
Sarah started at Aegis in 2004 on the operations side, responsible for duties including security vetting, insurance, medical evacuations - and aftercare. "We're very committed to that. If any of our personnel is injured or killed, we liaise with their families immediately, but it's a long-term relationship and we support them for as long as they need."
A year ago she stepped into her current role, which involves accompanying Tim on his frequent visits to Iraq and Afghanistan (where Aegis also has a security presence), and to the firm’s other offices, which include Washington and Bahrain. "Where Tim goes, I go too," she says. "And, yes, it is dangerous.
"Fortunately, I don’t get frightened - but if I did, I'd be with the right people. I'm probably away for three weeks in every couple of months.
"In Iraq we start early and finish late. I'm on call from 7am until 11pm, making sure that we have all the information needed for meetings and functions. There is also a lot of travelling and it's very demanding.
"Even in London there is no typical day and things can change on an hourly basis, but I always start with a diary check and e-mails. There are a lot of meetings, visits and briefings to organise."
Last September Sarah added another responsibility when Tim asked her to take on the administration of the Aegis Foundation, a UK-registered charity involved in community projects in postconflict environments. Tim describes it as a high-impact, low-cost initiative.
"We don't duplicate work done by any other group," he says. "Vast amounts of money are being spent on the reconstruction of Iraq and on projects such as infrastructure repair and hospitals, which can take a long time. We try to bring about an immediate result, typically spending $10,000. The most we spent was $30,000 on an inoculation programme. One of our favourite projects is providing fresh drinking water in schools, which costs a fraction of that." Of the charity’s 200 projects in Iraq, 80 per cent have involved clean water.
Sarah enjoys her job, despite obvious pressures and frequent absences from home. Does she find it difficult to describe to others what she does? "I usually just say that I work in admin."
Rosalind Renshaw
The Times
