Salem-News.com Soldiers articles

Rise of the Mercs and a Race to the Bottom

What were once called mercenaries were legitimized as ‘private military security contractors’.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - The history of mercenary fighters ("mercs")--soldiers for hire who might be disciplined fighters abiding by the rules of engagement or might be plundering freebooters--from ancient Rome to today in Ukraine--is often an ugly, brutal, killers-for-hire story.