Defense Base Act Lawyers Blog

If you are an injured employee who qualifies under either the Defense Base Act or the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, you are entitled to receive a weekly compensation check from your employer's insurance company if you are on no work or light duty (when your employer has no light duty).

The amount of an injured employee's weekly compensation check is generally equal to two-thirds (2/3) (that is, approximately 66%) of the employee's average weekly earnings. Regardless of how high the employee's earnings are, however, the weekly compensation check cannot exceed the amount reflected in the table below.

The following is a table reflecting both the maximum and minimum amounts that an injured employee is entitled to receive per week for injuries occurring through September 30 of this year and going back to October 1, 1974.

The Defense Base Act is a specific set of Federal laws that have been in place since 1941. These laws are codified at 42 U.S.C. §§1651-1654. These laws establish a special workers' compensation program that provides for medical treatment and lost wages for individuals injured during the course of their employment aiding our troops at or near United States Military defense bases and installations overseas. "Overseas" means outside of the fifty States, including United States territories and possessions.

The Defense Base Act covers workers in war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as at or near these United States Military Installations and Allied Foreign Military Installations supporting United States Military personnel:

Army

Belgium

Brussels - United States Army Garrison
Casteau - Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE)
Chièvres - United States Army Garrison Benelux

Germany

Ansbach - United States Army Garrison
Bamberg - United States Army Garrison
Baumholder - United States Army Garrison
Garmisch - United States Army Garrison
Grafenwoehr / Vilseck - United States Army Garrison
Heidelberg - United States Army Garrison Baden-Württemberg
Hohenfels - United States Army Garrison
Kaiserslautern - United States Army Garrison
Landstuhl - United States Army Garrison
Mannheim - United States Army Garrison Baden-Württemberg
Schweinfurt - United States Army Garrison
Stuttgart - United States Army Garrison
Wiesbaden - United States Army Garrison

Italy

Livorno - United States Army Garrison (Camp Darby)
Vicenza - United States Army Garrison (Camp Ederle)

Japan

Kanagawa - United States Army Garrison (Camp Zama)
Okinawa - United States Army Garrison (Torii Station)

Korea

Anjung-ri - United States Army Garrison (Camp Humphreys)
Daegu - United States Army Garrison (Camps George, Henry and Walker)
Dongducheon - United States Army Garrison Casey (Camps Castle, Castle
North, Mobile and Hovey)
Seoul - United States Army Garrison Yongsan
Uijeongbu - United States Army Garrison Red Cloud (Camps Stanley and
Jackson)
Waegwan - United States Army Garrison (Camp Carroll)

Netherlands

Schinnen - United States Army Garrison

Puerto Rico

Guaynabo - Fort Buchanan

Navy

Bahrain

Manama - Naval Support Activity

Cuba

Guantanamo Bay - Naval Station (GTMO)

Guam

Santa Rita - Naval Base

Greece

Souda Bay - Naval Support Activity

Italy

Naples - Naval Support Activity
Gaeta - Naval Support Activity Naples Department (NSAND)
Sigonella, Sicily - Naval Air Station

India

Diego Garcia Island - Navy Support Facility

Japan

Atsugi - Naval Air Facility
Sasebo - United States Fleet Activities
Yokosuka - United States Commander Fleet Activities (CFAY)

Korea

Chinhae - United States Commander Fleet Activities (COMFLEACTS)
Port of Singapore Authority Sembawang - Naval Regional Contracting
Center

Spain

Rota - Naval Station

Air Force

Germany

Büchel - Air Base
Ramstein - Air Base
Spangdahlem - Air Base
Teveren - Geilenkirchen NATO Air Base

Guam

Yigo - Andersen Air Force Base

Hungary

Pápa - Air Base

Italy

Aviano - Air Base
Ghedi - Air Base

Japan

Fussa - Yokota Air Base
Okinawa - Kadena Air Base
Misawa - Air Base

Korea

Gunsan - Kunsan Air Base
Pyongtaek - Osan Air Base

Netherlands

Uden - Volkel Air Base

Norway

Stavanger - Air Base

Portugal

Lajes - Lajes Field Air Base

Spain

Morón de la Frontera - Morón Air Base

Turkey

Ankara - Office of Defense Cooperation
Incirlik - Air Base
Izmir - Air Station

United Kingdom

Alconbury - Royal Air Force Base
Brackley - Royal Air Force Base Croughton
Mildenhall - Royal Air Force Station
Fairford - Royal Air Force Base
Lakenheath - Royal Air Force Station
Harrogate - Royal Air Force Station Menwith Hill
Molesworth - Royal Air Force Base
Upwood - Royal Air Force Base

Marine Corps

Japan

Iwakuni - Marine Corps Air Station
Okinawa - Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler (Camps Courtney,
Foster, Gonsalves, Hansen, Kinser, MCAS Futenma, Schwab)

Injured employees qualifying under the Defense Base Act are entitled to certain workers' compensation benefits. The types of benefits provided to injured employees are disability and medical benefits. Additionally, if the employee is unfortunately killed or later dies as a result of complications from injuries sustained, the employee's dependent family members are entitled to death benefits. Dependent family members are typically the deceased employee's spouse and any children still living at home. This includes children that are away from home but studying for an undergraduate degree at college. Dependent family members may also include parents, siblings, etc. living at the deceased employee's home and dependent on the deceased employee for support.

Disability benefits relate to the employee's injuries. Injuries may be either partial or total and either temporary or permanent. Thus, an employee's injuries may be a combination of either temporary partial or temporary total, or permanent partial or permanent total. An example of a partial injury would be the employee's loss of use of one of his or her hands, whereas a total injury would be the loss of use of both hands. A temporary injury is one where the employee's disability may be corrected over time through proper medical care, whereas a permanent injury can never be corrected, despite medical intervention.

An employee who is totally disabled is entitled to lost wage benefits equaling two-thirds (2/3) (that is, approximately 66%) of the employee's average weekly earnings. Regardless of the employee's regular wage amount, however, his or her weekly disability check cannot exceed $1,295.20. Depending on the facts of the case, lost wage benefits for permanent total disability may be payable to the injured employee for the rest of his or life. Such lifetime payments are subject, however, to annual adjustmentswhether up or downbased on economic factors affecting the cost of living.

In cases involving the death of an employee, the death benefits to which the deceased employee's family is entitled are determined according to the number of dependent family members. If there is only one (1) dependent family member, the death benefits will be equal to fifty percent (50%) of the employee's average weekly earnings. If there are two (2) or more dependent family members, the death benefits will be equal to two-thirds (2/3) (that is, approximately 66%) of the employee's average weekly earnings. Regardless of the deceased employee's regular wage amount, however, death benefits cannot exceed $1,295.20 per week for injuries occurring after October 1, 2011. Depending on the facts of the case, death benefits may be payable to the deceased employee's family members for the rest of their lives. If there is more than one dependent family member, the death benefits will be payable until the death of the last surviving family member.

Workers qualifying under either the Defense Base Act or the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act are entitled to mileage reimbursement if they must use their personal automobiles for performing duties directly related to their employment or for traveling back and forth for approved medical treatment related to their injuries.

Following is a list of applicable mileage reimbursement rates for personal automobiles for the years 2001 through 2012, arranged according to the dates on which the rate changes went into effect:

For those who are interested in reviewing the decisions rendered by the Benefit Review Board, the court in Defense Base Act cases and Longshore & Harbor Workers' Compensation Act cases, please see the following link: http://www.dol.gov/brb/decisions/lngshore/published/main.htm. Once you are at this web page, you can simply click on the year of the decision and bring up the specific case to find out what the court ordered and what law was applied. This link will be helpful to those trying cases and keeping up to date with the law.

Additionally, please remember that a claim for medical benefits in a Defense Base Act case or a Longshore & Harbor Workers' Compensation Act case is never time-barred; and when the attorney establishes the claimant's entitlement to medical expenses, the attorney has successfully prosecuted the claim, entitling him or her to an attorney's fee.

Medical can stay open indefinitely on a scheduled injury. What this means is a person who has an injury to an extremity other than a shoulder can keep the medical open even if a significant period of time goes by without that person seeing a doctor. This applies to hearing loss, as a claim for hearing loss is never barred. This is true even if the person has hearing loss thirty years later. You may ask yourself: don't people normally lose their hearing with age? Yes, while that is true, it is also true that if the employee can show an aggravation to his or her hearing loss caused by his job, then he or she can get an award for hearing loss and also have the expense of hearing aids paid, which are quite expensive. This is the attorney's job to file for and receive payment of the hearing aids.

With respect to the Defense Base and Longshore Act, Section 8 requires lifetime medical care for the injured person with no statute of limitations. This includes the right to chiropractic treatment as well as dental care. The doctor shall file his report with the insurance company within ten days of care so that he is not barred from payment. The injured worker has a choice of doctor and the carrier must respond within one week with approval of that doctor. The claimant is entitled to reimbursement of mileage for attending doctor's appointments which (as of the date of this writing) is 51 cents per mile. This will go down as the price of gasoline has decreased recently. Therefore, even though the injured person wants to claim medical but it is ten years after the accident, he is not barred from doing this under the Defense Base and Longshore Act.

Private defense contractors are more important to the United States Military than ever before. The Department of Defense (DOD) has mission requirements throughout the world and uniformed servicemen and women simply can not do everything. We have the finest and most dedicated military personnel on earth, but private defense contractors are still vital to the missions. Contractors provide critical logistical support "on the ground" at defense bases and occupied territories wherever our military personnel are based or deployed.

Despite common perceptions, our defense contractors are not new! This is not a brand new trend. During the American Revolutionary War, the Continental Army relied heavily on contractors. The newly formed army was ill equipped, untrained, and incredibly inexperienced, but they had the drive and the spirit to prevail. The contractors of the day provided food, clothing, horses, wagons, weapons, scouting services, and other goods and services necessary to help the Army fight for the freedom of all Americans.

Today we need fewer horses and wagons. Our Army, Navy, Marine, and Air Force are incredibly equipped, well trained, experienced, and they still have that drive and dedication that motivated the first Continental Army recruits. Also today's military forces do still need the private defense contractors. In the past twenty years, the missions in the Balkans, Somalia, Kuwait, Afghanistan, and in Iraq have demonstrated the continuing and growing importance of private defense contractors. In these missions, the contractors supplied translation services, local intelligence, security, construction work, and they have fulfilled a multitude of other services. They also provide local supplies where needed.

Unfortunately, working with the military in their missions can be hazardous. Even where there is no active armed conflict, training accidents still happen. Trucks can get into crashes. It can be as simple as a translator sitting on a defective chair that collapses in a conference room, etc., etc. Of course, where there is armed conflict or an organized insurgent presence, injuries and death can easily take place. An insurgency of locals can cause incredible trouble to the military and to the defense contractors.

When an active duty serviceman or woman is injured or killed, the U.S. Military provides medical care; evacuation, surgery, physical therapy, medication, etc., or death / survivor benefits if death takes place. The United States Department of Veteran Affairs continues to provide medical benefits even after the serviceman or woman is discharged from active duty service. So, what happens to the private defense contractor?

The United States Defense Base Act provides medical care and treatment; as well as death benefits if the contractor dies. This protection covers you if you are an American, an Iraqi, an Afghan, a German, a Kuwaiti, an Egyptian, etc., etc. It covers anyone of any nationality anywhere in the world that is injured or killed while serving as a contractor aiding the Army, Navy, Marines, or Air Force at defense bases, occupied territories, and other sites. To secure these valuable medical and financial benefits (lost wages), you or your family members should immediately contact a Defense Base Act lawyer. By contacting and consulting with a Defense Base Act attorney, you can pursue your claim from anywhere in the world. The reach of the statute is great, but the rules and time requirements are complex, so legal counsel is critical to your receipt of the right benefits. An experienced attorney based in Florida can easily handle these cases throughout the world.

Jo Ann Hoffman, Esquire, our founding partner, (shown here with featured lecturer, Dr. Bruce Berkowitz) participated in the 2011 Defense Base Act Conference held at Loyola University in New Orleans, Louisiana. There, she met with fellow practitioners who devote themselves to helping private defense contractors who aid and assist the United States Military (Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force) in their missions throughout the world. Private defense contractors provide logistic support, technical support and other valued services to our military at bases, outposts, occupied territories, and on other missions on all seven continents.

The 2011 Defense Base Act Conference brought together some of the finest legal and medical minds from our nation and internationally so that they can help educate each other to better help those who are injured or killed while on assignment as military contractors. These cases present serious and complex legal issues that those attending the conference reviewed and discussed. The reach of the Defense Base Act is extraordinary. It is United States Federal Law and it applies all over our planet, applies to all kinds of injuries, and it applies to persons regardless of their nationality. As we reported in prior articles, a private military contractor can be a German or any other national working in Iraq for a company from Great Britain, but aiding the U.S. Army and he or she is protected by this law.

The types of injuries covered can range from a simple motor vehicle accident in Afghanistan where a defense contractor is just delivering food supplies to someone killed tragically by an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) near Baghdad to someone providing translation service in Japan that is exposed to radiation. All necessary medical care and treatment can be secured through the help of an experienced Defense Base Act lawyer. Further, lost wages and other monetary benefits (even a possible settlement) can be received by an injured DBA claimant with the help of a Defense Base Act attorney.

The medical issues are profound as well. The injuries range from exposure to regional diseases or parasitic exposure endemic to a certain areas, through 'normal' orthopedic and neurological injuries, through to a much more catastrophic losses of limbs (amputation), paralysis, and even death. Emotional and psychiatric consequences also can play a role in these cases. Pretty much anything that can happen to the human body, can become a part of a Defense Base Act case.

Ms. Hoffman (shown here with the Hon. Lance Africk, a Federal Judge) devotes her energies, time, resources, and talent towards helping the injured and their families. Her passion is to help them get the best possible medical care and as much financial compensation as the laws allow. Please contact us with any questions, comments, or concerns that you may have as to whether you are entitled to the worldwide protection and the benefits of the Defense Base Act; and then let her and our entire team help you.

In our recent articles we have advised you that the U.S. Defense Base Act protects contractors of any nationality working for various agencies of the United States and, specifically, the U.S. Military. We have had major bases from all branches of the military (Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force) in Japan and Okinawa for many decades. Due to the 9.0 magnitude earthquake on March 11, 2011, and the resulting tsunami the nuclear reactors in Fukushima Prefecture have suffered catastrophic coolant failure.

When nuclear reactors can not be shut down properly and the rods of enriched uranium and/or plutonium over heat, they release enormous amounts of radioactivity. Private defense contractors in the region must be aware of the symptoms of radiation exposure. These symptoms may not show for months. Any questions as to coverage for radiation illness that you may have should be brought immediately to your Defense Base Act lawyer. The speed with which the symptoms may develop is generally proportional to the extent of the exposure. Logically, a high exposure even over a short period of time will create symptoms more quickly that a low exposure to radioactive isotopes over a longer period of time. There are no absolute rules here. However, even with a low level exposure if it lasts long enough (different for every person) it can still create radiation poisoning.

Acute radiation syndrome (ARS) is also known as radiation poisoning. It has also been called radiation sickness or radiation toxicity. Radiation sickness disrupts the bodies functions at the cellular level initially causing vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, loss of weight, skin disruptions including redness, skin burns, and persistent sores. Any or all of these initial symptoms need to be evaluated immediately. Remember, these initial symptoms may not show up until months after exposure so don't ignore any of them. Contact a Defense Base Act lawyer with experience. Severe gastrointestinal symptoms accompanied by skin lesions become worse without proper diagnosis and treatment.

Treatment generally consists of blood transfusions, antibiotics, and supportive therapies to control the skin lesions and overcome the gastric distress. Iodine is administered as well so that the thyroid gland absorbs the relatively harmless iodine and NOT the radioisotopes. Because low to moderate ARS (Acute Radiation Syndrome) causes a drop in red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets this shows up in the patient as extreme fatigue, uncontrollable bleeding, and susceptibility to infections. More severe cases have those symptoms plus dizziness (vertigo), headaches (cephalgia), and even coma. If you, as a private defense contractor experience any of these symptoms, you must immediately report the exposure and secure medical treatment. You will need legal help as well to make sure that you get all of the benefits available to you under the U.S. Defense Base Act. Remember a Defense Base Act attorney with experience can help you or your family member who qualifies get all of the medical care you need, lost wages, and a possible settlement.

Please see our earlier article on the incredibly fine humanitarian assistance the U.S. Marines, the other military branches, and private defense contractors are providing to the Japanese people. The 'triple threat' of earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown has left Japan and the Japanese people in dire need. Towns and cities were destroyed, many thousands killed, thousands more are missing, and the exact extent of the devastation is still unknown. Our U.S. military has been called upon to render aid and with them come the many private military contractors who aid and assist not only the Japanese people, but also to the U.S. military.

Unfortunately, the Fukushima Dai-Ichi (Daiichi) nuclear reactors have suffered catastrophic failures in their cooling systems, have leaked radioactive isotopes into the atmosphere, and the "hail mary" ploys of pumping sea water into the reactors to cool the rods has left the ocean contaminated in the region. Workers for TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company) have already been exposed to tens of thousands of times the acceptable levels of radiation. This past weekend, power plant workers were again evacuated from reactor three when water containing between ten thousand to fifty thousand times the safe level of radioactive isotopes got past their protective clothing.

The picture is bleak but, fortunately, our military and our private defense contractors will not be deployed into the reactors. The entire region, however, holds danger and without becoming an alarmist, it is very important for our military contractors to be aware of the dangers of radiation exposure, the symptoms to look out for, and the help and treatments that are available.

The United States Defense Base Act provides protection for our defense contractors. Any one of ANY nationality working under a contract with the United States government; various agencies and the military (Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force) is covered anywhere in the world. All of the defense bases and occupied territories in Asia may experience potentially serious levels of radiation in the air, food, and water. It is vitally important that anyone exposed to radiation or even suspecting radiation sickness contact an experienced Defense Base Act lawyer for help in securing testing, treatment, and lost wages. A settlement may also be possible. You need to discuss all of these benefits with your Defense Base Act attorney.

Please see our next blog posting regarding symptoms of radiation poisoning. Remember, the odds are that you will not have any problems in Japan or in Asia, but the possibility does exist for radiation poisoning. Given that possibility, you need to protect yourself. There are treatments that work, but you have to know about the symptoms and you need to get legal advice about the medical and financial benefits of the U.S. Defense Base Act.

The triple threat" facing Japan; earthquakes, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown in their reactors; has created an unprecedented disaster in the third largest economy in the world. Japan is also a long standing friend and ally to the United States. Our country has responded and has already dispatched millions of dollars in aid and assistance. Dr. Ronald DeMeo, a South Florida pain management physician and inventor of Demron, a radiation resistant material, donated 200 radiation suits to the Japanese nuclear reactor workers and technicians. Dr. DeMeo invented the material and the suits in response to seeing his patients, his colleagues and himself develop rashes, burns, and even cancers from exposure to medical x-rays. These suits have also been popular around the world in the nuclear power industry and they are made here in Medley, Florida. They retail for just under $2,000.00. Expensive for a "suit," but incredibly inexpensive as a life saver! We commend Dr. DeMeo for his humanitarianism and great generosity.

Nukepills.com, an internet seller of radiation preparedness supplies, is based in Mooresville, N.C., and despite an incredible worldwide demand for potassium iodide; a radiation sickness preventative; they have donated fifty (50,000) thousand doses of this important drug to the Tokushukai Hospital in Tokyo. There they will distribute them to the victims exposed to high levels of radiation in and near the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster. Nukepills, along with many thousands of other businesses and individuals, have "stepped up to the plate" and are trying to help these suffering people.

The United States military and the private defense contractors who provide critical services to the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines are mobilizing in Japan to help the victims of this triple headed monster of a catastrophe. The U.S. Marine Corps maintains a large presence in Japan. On Okinawa, there are a great number of facilities operating under the umbrella organization of Marine Base Camp Smedley D. Butler. Elsewhere in Japan, there are other major installations which include; Camp Courtney, Camp Foster, Camp Gonsalves, Camp Hansen, Camp Kinser, Camp Lester, Camp McTureous, and Camp Schwab.

The Marines also operate dedicated air stations where search and rescue are part of the mission statement and part of the training that takes place year after year in the event a need arises in the region. These bases are the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Camp Fuji, and Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. Defense contractors support all of these facilities providing technical support and logistical support, security, maintenance, translators, and other vital services.

Today, in Japan, approximately 4,700 U.S. military personnel, mostly Marines and sailors, have been assigned to Operation Tomodachi (that means "friend" in Japanese). They are supplying the Japanese victims massive quantities of humanitarian supplies and equipment. Due to lack of usable roads, destroyed rail lines, and obliterated infrastructure the relief effort has been a severe challenge. Our allies, Japan's Army and other military have been cooperating in trying to help the Marines help the Japanese people. It is a massive and complex effort and while they have had logistical glitches, they are working together for the common goal of helping the stricken regions and its devastated people.

While many branches of the U.S. armed forces are involved in Operation Tomodachi, the Marine Corps has led the efforts on the ground and in the worst-hit areas of Japan. We salute and commend these brave men and women; military and military contractors; who are struggling to help the Japanese people who are in desperate need.

Japan's main island of Honshu suffered a catastrophic 8.9 magnitude earthquake at 2:46 p.m. (their time) on Friday, March 11, 2011, and it is considered to be the fifth largest earthquake in the world since record keeping began in the late 1800's. It is the largest known earthquake to ever hit the region. Because of the way earthquakes are measured; it is considered to be at least 1,000 times stronger than the one that devastated Christchurch, New Zealand, last month and a thousand times stronger than the one that leveled much of Haiti last year. The Japanese quake destroyed thousands of buildings, killed over a thousand people so far, and caused an incredible series of tsunamis (also called tidal waves) that killed more people and dropped ships onto already devastated communities. Tsunamis have traveled throughout the Pacific basin affecting even California, Alaska, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

1,200 miles of coastal Japan shook for approximately two terrifying minutes and then moments later the 8.9 magnitude earthquake blasted the a 23-foot (seven-meter) tsunami along the northeastern coast of Japan near the coastal city of Sendai. The quake was followed by hundreds by vicious aftershocks; some noteworthy on their own behalf in the 6.0 to 7.4 range. Our U.S. Geological Survey reported that 250 were detected off of Japan's main island of Honshu, 50 of them of magnitude 6.0 or greater at the present time. There is a potential for a 7.9 to 8.0 aftershock and that possibility remains for months.

Fires are burning out of control, oil refineries have exploded, communities are obliterated and now millions of Japanese citizens are in further jeopardy from a nuclear disaster of unprecedented proportions. The true extent of the devastation of this triple threat (earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster) is still unknown and the full effects will likely take months and possibly years to be fully understood.

The Fukushima Nuclear facility, reactors 1 & 3, are undergoing catastrophic loss of coolant as we write this and there are dangers of a massive radiation release. Already there are three patients in a nearby hospital close to Sendai with near lethal levels of radiation poisoning. Hundreds more are being tested. Health officials are distributing iodine salts to people close to the nuclear facilities as a precursor to fighting radiation sickness.

The Fukushima Daiichi #1 reactor is forty years old, but it was originally built with greater safeguards than the Chernobyl plant that had created a nuclear disaster in April of 1986. Chernobyl left large sections of the Ukraine still uninhabitable.

The United States, Great Britain, and other countries have already dispatched technical experts and assistance to Japan. President Barack Obama pledged extensive U.S. assistance calling this a potentially "catastrophic" disaster. One U.S. aircraft carrier is already in Japan and a second is on its way to render assistance.

On CNN's news broadcast today, their senior analyst and anchor, Wolf Blitzer, asked his guest, Japan's Ambassador to the United States, Mr. Ichiro Fujisaki, ". . . what can people due to help?" His response was to help by donating to the American Red Cross. Please use this link to the American Red Cross and give what you can. We would add to that a request for your prayers.

There is an old Chinese saying; some may call it it a curse; "May you live in interesting times." Well, we sure do live in interesting times! On the Korean peninsula we have one ethnic people divided into two countries that are are still technically at a state of war. A truce was declared in 1953, back when Dwight Eisenhower was the new U.S. President. A truce or an armistice means, in essence, we will not shoot or bomb you - - - today. It does not mean peace. Hundreds of thousands of active duty servicemen and women are based on both sides of the 38th Parallel in Korea facing each other armed and ready. Private military contractors (defense contractors) from dozens of countries stand with the military rendering technical assistance, security, logistical and operational support.

In the Philippines, Japan, Okinawa, and elsewhere in Asia, there are deployments of military and defense contractors dedicated to various important missions; such as preparedness training, peacekeeping, and overall lending themselves to providing strategic and regional stability. And then, of course, there are those interesting regions; Afghanistan, North Africa, and the perennial favorite "hotspot," the Middle East.

The importance of the role of the Private Military Contractors, also known as Defense Contractors, has rarely made the front pages of the world's newspapers or the first item on television or the internet. However, the risks taken and the sacrifices made by these men and women from all over the world can not remain ignored. According investigative reporting by such internationally respected sources as the Los Angeles Times, Reuters, and the New York Times, there have frequently been many thousands more defense contractors working for the United States in Iraq than active duty military.

Because we do live in "interesting times," we need the private military contractors; we need their skills, their courage, and their dedication. The injury coverage and protection offered to defense contractors by the United States Defense Base Act is but one means of expressing the appreciation we in the U.S., and others throughout the world, have for these people and the fine work they do. More, however, can and should be done.

Libya is erupting in open warfare between elements of their military and large segments of the population. Some Libyan Air Force pilots have even left the country; preferring to defect and take their planes with them rather than be ordered to shoot civilians. In Egypt, Hosni Mubarak resigned after weeks of enormous rallies and protests in Cairo and throughout the country. Elsewhere in the region longstanding administrations; some friendly with the United States; are being overthrown or are reaching compromises.

Military contractors from Afghanistan to the Middle East and throughout Europe and North Africa need to closely watch these breaking news stories. These are incredible and momentous events. The entire region is in turmoil and while that does increase opportunities for defense contractor positions, it also increases the inherent dangers.

Col. Muammar Gaddafi responded to protests in his country by having the protesters shot. There are open battles taking place in Libya today. Governments in Europe, North America, and throughout the world are demanding that Gaddafi stop the bloodshed and resign immediately. U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, summed up the position of the United States in telling Gaddafi to "go now." In Geneva, she said that Gaddafi and his followers used "mercenaries and thugs" to kill civilian protesters and terrorizing whole communities.

There are stories coming out of Libya of mid level military officers loyal to Gaddafi murdering soldiers who refuse to fire on civilian citizens.

The EU (European Union) today imposed even more sanctions on the Libyan dictator and his regime.Assets throughout the world have been frozen, travel is restricted for Col. Gaddafi and his top aides, and a general arms embargo is being imposed. Tens of thousands of refugees are trying to leave Libya. Migrants working in Libya (many from Egypt) are stranded near Libya's border with Tunisia. These workers (many in oil industry) are asking the Egyptian Army to rescue them. The overall situation is getting far worse. There will be a lot of opportunities for defense contractors in the upcoming months (possibly years). Civilian populations will be in turmoil for some time until the fighting stops (if it does). Security will be a top priority for the U.S. Military and other governmental agencies working in the area. Oil prices will be fluctuating wildly. The term "instability" hardly describes this explosive series of events. Defense contractors and the United States Armed Forces are getting prepared for different scenarios and remain on high alert.

The Middle Eastern unrest has grown from a few small gatherings of angry students to tens of thousands of protesters in multiple countries. After 31 years in power Hosni Mubarak stepped down from the presidency in Egypt. In Libya, there is general warfare taking place and a real question in the minds of diplomats and business leaders throughout the world is how it will develop.

Defense Base Act cases are likely to rise as the political and military situation in the region becomes more unstable. We ask our clients and their families to use extreme caution on and off base and in the occupied territories in the region.

Oil prices are likely to rise as Libya's oil; perhaps only 3% of the world's ready supply may be in jeopardy. Saudi Arabia has sufficient capacity to make up the difference easily, but there is still going to at least be an interim increase in prices. The United States has called on diplomats and many defense contractors to depart the region. Germany and the United Kingdom are working to send charter flights into Libya to bring out their nationals. We ask that everyone keep a close watch on local, national, and regional developments. As a practical matter, you might also consider contacting family members and keeping them apprised of your status and whereabouts. The internet has been "shut down" for a time in Egypt and severely curtailed in Yemen, Bahrain, and Libya. You might also want to pre-select a Defense Base Act attorney if an unfortunate accident should take you out of commission. Let your family know your wishes in that area should you sustain a serious injury. Check on your rights now. Protect yourself at all costs.

Travel restrictions; almost always an annoying issue; are going to get worse for the foreseeable future. We suggest you keep your valuables, identification documents, and travel documents with you at all times. We, of course, are quite hopeful that the region will settle down, become stable, and perhaps even more democratic. Still, please exercise extreme caution and take prudent steps to protect yourself.