Are mercenaries considered veterans?

A mercenary, sometimes known as a soldier of fortune, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, who takes part in military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any other official military.

Is it illegal to be a mercenary in the US?

The use and recruitment of mercenaries are legally forbidden by the 1989 International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries. A mercenary is defined as any person who is specially recruited locally or abroad in order to fight in an armed conflict.

How much money do Blackwater mercenaries make?

Private military companies offer top wages to attract qualified applicants willing to carry out dangerous missions. For example, Blackwater contractor salary is estimated to fall between $9,000 and $22,500 a month, according to the Blackwaterusa.com website.

What happens when there are too many mercenaries?

Out of work mercenaries may become brigands, preying on the weak. Or they become racketeers, demanding “protection” money from cities and states, like the mafia. In other words, more mercenaries means more war. There’s a lot of historical evidence for this from the European Middle Ages, when mercenaries were routinely used.

What is the difference between a mercenary and a contractor?

Mercenaries is not the preferred term. Contractors is–since it does not carry such intensely negative connotations–unless we speak of contract killing. Contractors accurately describes the diverse group of civilians and military reservists who provide services during America’s conflicts.

Where are the best places to find mercenaries?

All we know is that business is booming. Recent years have seen major mercenary activity in Yemen, Nigeria, Ukraine, Syria, and Iraq. Many of these for-profit warriors outclass local militaries, and a few can even stand up to America’s most elite forces, as the battle in Syria shows.

How did mercenaries fight in the Middle Ages?

Rome regularly employed mercenaries, and mercenaries were how wars were fought in the European Middle Ages. In fact, they were called condottieri or “contractors,” and they formed multinational companies, termed “free companies,” just like Blackwater and Aegis today.