Flaccid Penguin - Security Industry Watchdog

Anonymous writes: I was a contractor for Cohort as well. All of the above stated is true. That is the worst 'company' I have ever worked for. I am still fighting to get paid. They are in breach of their own contract at this point. No one from the company is man enough to return phone calls or emails. I can't believe that a company actually hired these guys....All I can say is--WOW!

Anonymous writes: Same here. Promised 6-8 weeks of work. Cut loose after 2. Still waiting to get paid.

Oh man, I see this all the time. I have worked gigs for Cohort and a few other companies in the last 4 years. What one person says how screwed up the company is, you'll find a guy working right next to them saying the EXACT OPPOSITE!

... lol and sense they are still on the ground after 60 days, I am sure the two weeker above may not still be there for a reason.

Knuckleheads... Cohort is cool, and all the leadership are Vets...
not some corporate azz-clowns.

Anonymous writes: All of the above is true. I have yet to be paid. I have never been lied to so many times in such a short period,-ever. Yes, the leadership may be Vets, but that didn't stop them from being liars and total "azz-clowns". Sad, but very very true. They sent many people home after two weeks and many after a day or two, because they hired way too many people, not because the contractor did anything wrong. This seems to be Entergy's fault though, not Cohort's. I was there most of the time BTW.

Anonymous writes: I just got home after working for them about a month and a half. The above is true. Big Duke must have been on a MIT team taking 2-3 hour lunches at IHOP while the rest of us stood a post, and eventually ate cold takeout. Pay, as stated, still hasn't come in yet,and yes they are in breach of contract. That in itself isn't as disconcerting as the bold-faced lie they told each and every contractor on the way in. They told us when our contract was read to us that they had UP TO 28 days after our invoice was submitted to pay us. But they also promised us that average time for it to hit was between 2-10 days. The 28 day thing would not have been a problem if they told us they were going to wait 27 days to pay us up front. But they did not, and of course we fond out from guys working around the "head-shed" that there never was any intent to pay us sooner. No vetting process. I didn't even show my frigging DRIVER'S LICENSE before they handed me a weapon. (They actually gave firearms to FELONS.) No PFT of any sort. There was actually a fat fuck who's finger got stuck in his Glock's trigger well during his "qualification". They dictated what you could do on your off time, but didn't pay you the overtime they are legally obligated to when working in that environment. Not that it mattered: Empty beer cans were a common sight outside of some of the posts. I even heard a guy brag about going out to the local club during his night post! Which brings me to the next issue: Non-existent leadership. There was no real chain of command established before starting the op. This led to so-called "vets, not azz-clowns" spending most of their time screwing each other over vying for position, and less time conducting basic leadership tasks. You know, stuff that Marine E-3 teamleaders do at 19-20 years old. Like knowing where your people are. Looking after your charges before yourself. Inspecting your positions to make sure people are awake and doing their jobs. Making sure your people know what said job IS. Making sure they know chain of command et al... In all, the work wasn't bad, the conditions were tolerable, but most of the hires treated it like summer camp, and higher was, with a couple of exceptions, filled with selfish, incompetent, smack-asses. Oh, and no one is getting paid, with few exceptions.

Anonymous writes: Big Duke must have been an office guy on this one. Look, I've worked for big companies like BW, and Cohort does not even come close to compare to a real company. Yes, most of the highers were vets, but that doesn't mean they were worth a crap. They all wanted to be called by their former rank--let it go! Plus, if they were worthwhile guys, experienced and knowledgable former NCOs, then they would go out of their way to 'look out for the troops'; fact is, they didn't. They stuck guys out on a post and forgot about them. The old "I got mine" attitude was everywhere. Think about it--logistically, Cohort did almost nothing. Entergy provided food, shelter, etc., because the guys on the post asked Entergy. Cohort said "suck it up". That is the wrong answer. This is a civilian company--you don't leave guys on a remote post for 36 hours with no food. Yes, I've been in worse conditions, but not as a civilian and not in the states! There was no dissemination of information, no planning, no CoC, no comms, no med support--NOTHING. Don't get me wrong, the actual work was cheese, but damn, a company can at least TRY! Wake up--that company is junk.

Anonymous writes: Ditto on most of the above, being a SEAL or Recon means you know how to SCUBA to an objective, it don't mean you can organize a fucking op. Most of these cats couldnt organize a trip to the whorehouse. No vetting, when cuts were made they were made arbitrarilly, good men went home while elderly and retarded "operators" remained on post. No standards were put out, no post briefs, no plan was made or put into action. Bodies were thrown on posts and they expected everyone to do the right thing, which would have been fine if they had vetted their people but unfortunately a few plain jane former E5 grunts held the whole fucking thing together. Lastly I have never been lied too like I have on this op. I understand confusion, hardship and bullshit, it's a rough biz. I understand that you have 28 days to pay me, Dont fucking tell me you are on top of it and then blow it off. Cohort is certainly capable of trolling the internet and removing nasty rumors. Threads of this sort have been removed from lightfighter and getoffthex, XXXXX hows about getting the fuck off the internet and paying your goddamned employees.

Anonymous writes: Well said...

getoffthex? you've got to be kidding.

Anyway, this thread is about as interesting as the rest of them.
I've recently spoken to a few guys both on and off the Cohort Op, no...
I haven't worked this one as claimed above, certainly not in the
office, that is not my style.

Anyway, this is a good place for you guys to talk to each other about problems you've had (having), but I can't see the value of trying to make it a "Cohort sucks" board, it won't accomplish anything.
According to those I have spoken with, they have had two contract extensions, and they have even hired more people back on the Op due to these extensions... so... I ask...how fucked up can it be? You have to judge a tree by it's fruit.

It sucks that you guys are having money trouble. I've been there before,
and yes, it is a plague of the industry. If you all intend to make this a general "how companies treat independent contractors" board, well then, i am all about it, and will be happy to contribute with things I know about three current contracting companies. You stand to lose credibility though by singling out one company (unless of course that is your true goal, not as it says in the intro to this site).

Also (again, just my .02 cents) calling someone out by a name from that OP, no matter how bullshit they are on the Net is pretty lame, especially when you are listed as Anon. We should all try to maintain some internal honor and not do that.

Duke

blog #2 and #7 writes: Wow--Duke sounds like an insider... This board will accomplish many things...Entergy has been made aware of the problems, which will cull future contracts. They may be extended, but you may need to look into that a little more deeply...There are not sites like previously held--just one or two locations--mainly just office personnel... As far as the board--this will also keep people from serving with this 'company'. Like I've said before, I've served for a long time with other, bigger companies, and Cohort should not even be called a security contractor. All you have to do is look out for your guys, and keep your word. They have failed at both. I have been nothing but professional with these people, yet they cannot even return my calls or emails.

Yes I am somewhat of an insider -I have worked for them in the past, I stated this early on, however, I think Penguins intent moves further than this. I'll see what I can do to contribute to the other links, there are alot of dudes out there that could really use some unified (Legal, monetary) support that there is no voice for. No offense, but a couple of months of "I am a disgruntled armed guard who hasn't been paid yet" does not even compare to a guy that had both legs blown off at a guard post in Baquba because he was alone and trying to do a good job, and come to find out the insurances (yes, despite DBA!) wouldn't help him at all, and the company made his family pay his flight home and they have not contributed at all monetarily to his trouble, while the CEO of the company rakes in millions every year. This person has 5 children and will never walk again.... I think you should think about that a bit.

BigDuke

Anonymous writes: Duke: I'm sorry for your friend, and I am sure there are plenty more stories of the sort out there. I am also glad that a few of your friends are having a good experience with Cohort as you did in the past. The fact is that this thread is about Cohort, not other companies and how badly they treated THEIR contractors. Cohort. And as is evidenced, the overwhelming majority of people that worked for Cohort on THIS gig had a bad experience. If you have friends that are in corporate or are in charge of shit there, the best thing you can do for them and that company is to forward this along to them. Help them fix how business is conducted so they might do better in the future, and save their reputation from irreparable damage.

Anonymous writes: All i want is my pay it has went on for to long now. Get off your asses and pay a man what he has coming.

Anonymous writes: What is our recourse since it has passed the 28th and still no pay?

Anonymous writes: HA HA MFr I GOT MINE!

Anonymous writes: I got this from a Buddy who I was working with in LA, for what its worth: The word as of 2119 local on 10-28-08 regarding pay is: Half of all 1099's have been paid or are waiting for your bank approval. The rest of the 1099's are going to be finished in the next few days. This was Cohorts parent company's fault allegedly - ask Matt Mackey in finance for more. The direct deposits expect 3-4 business days max to process. Yes the pay that isn't already paid is past the 28 days. So do with that as you will - remind them when you call Mr. Mackey. The company phone number is:603-727-7308

First off, I was on the ground Sept. 2nd and left. OCT.1 I am amazed at how people can judge a situation without truly trying to understand what made it that way. Imagine being a company that was only expected to have work during an unknown duration of one Hurricane; then another one rolls in. Now imagine having a client (Entergy) say "we need 150 more people NOW!! Two days later they say, "we now need 250 people NOW!! Would panic not set in? Now, try to figure out where you are going to put all of these people. Now imagine Entergy changing their mind on where to send people on a daily basis. Now think about uniforms. Now think housing. Now think transport and other logistics in a three day time frame. I think based on the immediate need, they did a great job. Not excellent, but great!! How often does a company get a chance to work at a level like this anyway to get that experience?


What was the objective? Basic security. Did that objective get met? YES. Was it FURBAR? Depends on where you were and your ATTITUDE! Don't know about you, but my guys had a blast after post! And YES we did go to the clubs on Burboun Street but NO DRINKING! We worked hard and played hard. The guys from New Orleans on my post were simply the BEST!!
The area leader in New Orleans was a GREAT GUY and I would work for him ANY DAY!!!

People need to understand that during a time of Emegency, all laws regarding certain things go out the window and time is of the essence. Somehow a few morons and "felons" may have slipped in. But I can say this, one guy with a HUGE attitude who played "quick draw" on post, was quickly removed from a post and was sent home the NEXT DAY. The first priority of safety was swiftly met!

As far as pay goes, read the contract guys. Sure, we all need our money in times like this. They met their legal obligations in my book. Rumors are what they are and words are what they are........the facts are always on paper.

Please come to grip with the fact that emotions are what gets people killed! I can see how people would have a lack of confidence in getting paid based on the negative experience shared by all. But that emotion has fueled responses that is quite unfair toward a company that did their best and MET THEIR OBJECTIVE the best they could under the conditionsand time restraint.

The guys at the very top are WAY DAMN FRIGGIN COOL!! And they WERE looking out for my best interest from day one! Egos of the leadership on the lower levels caused ALL of the problems!!
I would work for this company again. But only as long as I get fed the way I was while down there!! LOL

It all comes down to overcoming and adapting to ANY situation. PERIOD!!!!

Once a Marine Always a Marine. Semper FI

Anonymous writes: RoguesScholar, I would concede that you have a point if they had met their obligations, they have not. It is 32 days past invoice, and I have not been paid. And before there are anymore excuses, the invoice is to be paid at 28 days, not EFT in progress, not check in the mail. And finally as per the contract if there is a problem with paperwork, they have 7 days from invoice to contact the contractor to substantiate the claim. Sorry, they are in breach of contract, and until it is made right, they don't have a leg to stand on, legally speaking... That being said, I worked with some great people, both in leadership, and on the ground. I wish you all the best.

Tree writes: 33 days past invoice for me and it's Friday night, that means Monday at the earliest. That means 36 days... that's pretty serious. All the other crap is handled by like u said overcoming and adapting. I just want my pay as promised.

Anonymous writes: Improvise adapt and overcome are all cool things and necessary in this industry. I'll happily miss chow, miss sleep, pull a double, get left somewhere, cover for my superiors I don't care, I understand that this is a rough business and it is not for pussies. Pay me. I did the selfless service thing, now I do this shit to get money. I get that the client threw a lot of curve balls and I was one of the guys who gets that you gotta put up with alot of bullshit when things are done on the fly like that. Pay me. If pay is gonna be late, if there are problems at finance, if the client is playing fuckaround, tell me...but don't tell me over and over that pay is coming in three to six days when you don't have a fucking clue when it is going to arrive. If you don't know whats going on tell your people you don't know and then fix the shit. Most guys in this field are pretty stand up and will put up with plenty of fuckedupness, but everyone who does this does this to get paid, fuck with my pay and I will spout like a bitch with a skinned knee, I earned it smiled my way through you leaving my ass out in the rain without chow and relief was three days late, you know why I smiled? Because I'm a standup guy and I was counting my money. Fuck with a contractors money and you should hope that the worst thing that happens is someone calls you a jackass on the internet.

Anonymous writes: The above poster has it spot-on in every way! We get paid to put up with all sorts of bullshit, long hours (40+ hrs on duty at one time - no shut-eye, little chow), odd schedules, inclement weather, short supply of uniforms, gear, commo, and even ammo. Uh, but they MUST'VE MISSED THE PART... where WE GET PAID to do that! A lot of guys in this industry are tolerant guys who adapt easily or understand that others (other companies, govt agencies etc) can fu*% stuff up for us. But NONE of us tolerate being strung out... OVER and OVER again by our employer! Don't lie to us. I wonder how many credit scores have been tarnished because Cohort's soo friggin inept at writing checks? If you know you've got logistical issues, (Ray Charles could see THAT writing on the wall!) then don't push payday till the last fu*%in day! Do it a week early! We're talking hundreds of guys with this same experience, not just one or two. And now you're saying you will not pay the reimbursements you said you would... uh, like gas for Cohort vehicles! Since you're already in breach of several hundred contracts from what I've gathered, and the contract says the first to breach contract pays all attorney fees.... what's the # of participants required for a class-action? Seriously though, just pay us and pay for the reimbursements! All that said, there were a lot of GREAT guys working for Cohort, but they weren't the guys at the top calling the shots. Many Kudos to "D" and who the fu*% gave "T" a gun?

SinatrasPSD writes: Where does one even begin to note this horrendous disaster for disaster relief? Overcoming and adapting to situations is a mainstay of our professions we expect it and will adapt to our surroundings..."Semper Gumby" but the environment was so fluid I almost felt like a chameleon. Forgive my rants and raves. It is my .02 cents and that's it. It's just like Porn. If you don't like it...don't read it. Simple. Just to recap some of what you fellas said above :mad: ; - No Commo...who the fuck is paying for my cell phone bill now? - Weapons training or refamiliarization for some...was it just me or did they give every asshole a pistol? Some didn't even have bullets given too them until the second week! Amazing but true. - Standing a post for 12-24 hours...that just sucks beyond belief. - Standing that same post alone...against the written contract. - BTW; the contracts we signed were for Hurricane Katrina!:doh: - No medical support. Thank God nothing serious happened. - Sleeping in a coffin-like trailer is never a permanent solution. - Dragon and Jaguar are not staging areas...just sites to secure. - The obvious grabassitc, bullshit moving around from site to site, some leaders whom I wouldn't trust to turn on the lights. - The non-vetting of the personnel & the hiring of; retards, felons, decrepids, wannabes, toddlers and guys that should have stayed at their local mall or played with their gun collection while whispering to them at home. Vetting via Craigslist is never a good idea. Did they pick up these guys and just throw them in the back of a truck or something? - Experienced operations and logistics operators standing a post like a putz willing to sort out the mess while the amatuers were playing with our lives in "starter contract" positions. - Having to take the shit as a Site Leader with no pay incentive. "Uh-huh...why would I want to take charge of 20 guys I don't know for additional monies?" - Denying your personnel the right to go out on their own time with their own arranged transportation to get a meal or basic supplies in a non-emergency area is intolerable. - Tranportation. Was it just me or did everyone feel fucked over? - Letting the client (Entergy) dictate security operations to the company. Someone should have just written up some options for them to pick rather than let one security office guy play Stratego from his leather padded chair. - Folks whom didn't give a flying fuck about your relief! - Folks whom didn't give a flying fuck if you ate! - Folks whom just didn't give a flying fuck where you were or billeted! - Folks whom just plain lost you because not they weren't able; but just weren't held accountable. - Folks in the Mid Management that were too busy trying to fuck over or just plain fuck each other or countermanding their issued orders rather than know where their personnel were. - Folks whom just plain forgot to take care of the men and forgot that the men would consolidate resources and pool together if you'd just took care of their basic needs...and I mean basic! Food, water, laundry, billeting, haircuts etc. - The Pay Issue...and our 5 minute briefing that "explained" our contracts too us. Enough said there, I've got late payments due too. Now...some of you may think that I'm just a hate spewer but I'm not. I've worked CONUS and OCONUS ops before just like alot of other guys out there and I fully understand the challenges of logistics when it comes to so many posts to fill and so many bodies to fill them. Since Cohort was not the only company out there you would think someone would have enough balls to just admit to Entergy that "we are getting more personnel at the time to fill your posts, meanwhile please be patient and maybe one of our competitors could help us out". There is no shame in additional aid. I understand that Cohort may have lost some positions because of this but considering the massive negative consequences of their lack of planning...I think it would've behooved them not to piss off such a large group of workers. It is reasonable to believe that Cohort will have a very hard time to fill it's slots for future operations. If they can't take care of us in Louisiana or Texas why would one go 10k miles away with them? As a whole, I know they intentionally didn't mean to fuck it up so bad. I know they can't be that dense. I know they meant well. BUT. Action, or should I say their lack of action proved otherwise. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...it's not gonna happen. On the Positive:) ; - New Orleans was somewhat fucktardish at first but leveled out and it ran smoothly. All contracts are screwy at first but then levels out. It leveled out then it got worse. - Kudos again to Gunny D...a BTDT guy that works with a contractor. - Kudos to D in Supply for being cool-headed when everyone was pissy. - A pat on the back for W in Beaumont for trying to keep up in the dark. - And the best part of doing this type of work; All the Great Folks you meet. That is the best part of doing this all the time.:D

Anonymous writes: As for the younger guys coming into security contractor, I felt sorry for them. This job was not the way it's supposed to go. Sinatra was on the money. I hope the guys just getting into this will not be swayed by this experience. It was tragic. So many Chiefs, too many Indians but alot of egos. Doom on the Company that cannot treat their employees like men rather than equipment.

Gunny writes: Gentlemen, I agree with alot of what has been said and am sorry for some of the screw up! Having said that I would like to explain a few things, - Everybody on this operation had a police check conducted on them. - There were absolutely NO felons at anytime on this operation. Four tried to get in but were soon out the door. - EVERYBODY had ammo so if you didn't, you should have contacted me ASAP. - I got rid of over 45 posers and one man I brought in and had know for a bunch of years. They were terminated because they were responible for several "Cluster fucks" and not taking care of their men. - I stay on our financial people every day. I'm trying to kick them in the ass to get people paid. Some of the problems with pay, no names on time sheets, wrong banking info, false time sheets, false travel claims and a bunch more. For those of you that did it right There is no excuse but you will get paid soon. - FYI the 28th day was thursday and depending on how long it takes your back to clear a wire transfer that will add time not Cohort. - Cohort has had the Emergency contract for over five years and has always done a excellent job with it. This one was a cluster fuck due to the lack of leaders and the ones that were good leaders were to few and spread out to far. The other clowns that called themselves leaders will never work with us or any other company if I can help it. - ATF did a complete inspection of our operation and aftertwo days found it to be in compliance with all laws and statutes. Hiring, weapons issueance and everything else wasspot on. - Four active police officers that worked for Cohort (for a very short period of time on this op) were terminated for several infractions including, leaving their post, weapons violations and generally being stupid. The Team Leader responsible for them was also terminated becasue he didn't square them away. - We are now in the second month in Texas (60 days)and finally things are running the way they should have from the begining. We had over 400 people down here and over 150 were terminated, all of the original Team Leaders and Site Leaders have been replaced with people that know how to lead and care for their people. - All I can say to those of you that were here is, don't judge Cohort by this OP. Gunny

Anonymous writes: I got my pay today. Yes it was late. But it was exactly the amount due. So other than the pay being a few days late, there is nothing serious to complain about. I spent over 24 hours on post a few times. I never went hungry - backpacks were created for a reason. You fill them up with food, water, and snivel/cold weather gear for a reason. Lots of really great people worked on this op. A few pieces of crap but as Gunny said they were fired.

Anonymous writes: I came into this operation in mid-september and before i bought a plane ticket I did a little homework. I contacted a few different poeple in the organization and compared notes to make sure things were on the up and up. Buying my own plane ticket wasn't my ideal option but a few weeks later I was reimbursed as promised. I will say there were hang ups here and there but nothing too serious. I think my major grievance was that I was told that I'd be paid the 1st week in October for September work but payroll was explained in detail PRIOR to signing the contract. I do have a few points here: -Many terms go along with "Hurricane Relief" such as "State of Emergency, Natural Disaster, Evacuation and Power Outage." I think it's safe to say that "lodging" would not parallel a resort in Monte Carlo. -I can't speak for everyone but I had enought foresight to pack snivel gear. They teach shit like that to 6yr olds on boy scouts. Isn't that Be Prepared 101? -You signed a contract. Why? Because you're a subcontractor. -No Medical assistance. If you couldn't get through a shift without doing something stupid or harming yourself in a way that couldn't be fixed with humble pie and a 1st aid kit, then you may want to re-evaluate your career options. How many folks out there were playing "samurai warrior" with their uber sexy, flat-black annodized, spring assisted, razor sharp gerber knives? "Oh fuck, I cut myself openning up a pack of Skittles." (Wear a hemet fuck-tard) For anything else, they were pretty clear about the fact that we were on own own for Medical Services, remember in case of emergency, call 911. -Comms: We were all given the number to the head shed and directed to use it. I had each team leader's number at every post I had. I don't recall anyone holding a gun to my head and forecing me to use my cell phone. Most cell phone plans have contracts so you're paying for it anyway. (again....the helmet) -Meals: Again, try a little pre-planning. You feed yourself at home but just in case pack some Powerbars or spend a few bucks on a meal. You'll buy $50-$70 5.11 tactical pants and "chicks-dig-it-gear" but god forbid you actually pay for a meal once or twice. If we were on per diem, most guys would be eating Ramen or Cup-o-noodles and pocketing the rest. I had hot food every day and ate like a God. -Logistics: We got issued brand new Glocks, Blackhawk holsters, new uniforms and all that. We should've been issued boxes of tampons to stop the bleeding), vagisil (to wash the sand out) and bottles of Midol (for the cramps). To the former military and Law enforcement (as required for this contract)grow the fuck up. If you didn't have what you needed, you should've told someone then followed up on it. If you were standing in the rain because there was no cover at your post you should put on the "fuck-tard helmet" because you didn't evaluate your position when you got there and think, "Hmmm, a Force 3 HURRICANE (for those who missed it, FUCKING HURRICANE) just devastated this place, chances are we might have a few sprinkles or at least we might want some shade so the Texas sun doesn't turn us into human jerky." I mean come on, we got paid $250 a day to be the highest paid babysitters in TX and LA. I never drew my weapon, nor had any major incidents and the extent of my paperwork was my time sheet and 1099 invoice....I'm fine with that. Civil Lawsuits are quite expensive, just ask OJ Simpson, Michael Jackson or the Catholic Church. Educate yourselves, do your homework and take some personal accountability. We all volunteered for this contract and had every right to walk away at any time. My dad has a saying, "You get what you put up with." If you put up with something you don't like then it's on you. If I'm stuck on a site with someone for 36hrs straight without relief, why not work out a sleeping arrangement? Wouldn't that be part of adapting and overcomming? It's a violation of policy, but you've been out ther for 3 days, who's going to catch you? Why not break out the cell phone and call someone....oh I forgot, Cohort's not paying your cell phone bill. (the helmet douchebag) Decisions have to get made especially when sites close down. With this kind of operation change is inevitable. Nobody likes sending guys home but sometimes it's the luck of the draw and timing. A lot of guys took it personally. Yes there was some politicing but that's a constant element wherever you go, get used to it. If you have the contractor mentality centered on money then do your job, worry about yourself, collect your paycheck and move on. All the beurocratic bullshit red tape is for upper management. Let them fuck the monkey, you just stand back and hold the tail. If Cohort loses a contract, some other company is going to get it. If that happens, go be a subcontractor for them. I guess I was a fortunate one, my leadership was fantastic, Gabe, SSG P, Nate, Matt, Kasey, Ian and Gunny. I would work with any of them again, anytime.

Anonymous writes: I got paid late, but they told me to my face they are going to deny my very legitimate reimbursement claims (about $700).:lol: :lol: The really funny thing is, according to their own contract they didn't dispute the claim in time or pay me my wages in time. This mans that they not only get to pay my reimbursement claim, but they also will get to pay for my lawyer since they breached the contract (read your contract, that's what it says). Hmm... Should we pay him $700, or $700 plus a lawyer... Morons:lol: :p :rolleyes:

Anonymous writes: You can tell the 2nd letter up, from 12 Nov. 00:29:11, was from an insider. He gave it away with" I had each team leader's number at every post I had." No supprise he had a good experience. What ever happened to not mentioning names here, I guess it's ok if your bragging on how good they were. Well if they were all so good, How the hell was the job so screwed up????? I notice there are not any complaints after the first of Nov. about not being paid. I hope all have been now. Problem is, there are probably a lot of financial problems for our guys now. Things like late payments, breach of contracts with their obligations, evictions, etc. all as a result of not being paid for over 2 months. Do you care? No, they can just tough it up! Bull crap. This is no way to treat people. Rather we were cops or military has nothing to do with it. If we were getting per diem? What an ass. We were not, I am all for buying food when I have to and if we were supposed to, there would have been per diem. Again he wonders what they would have done with the money, like "eating cup-o-noodles and pocketing the rest". What's it to ya, what we do with it? Seems you are more concerned with our money than you are our welfare. Which brings us back to the money. If they gave a dam about us, a lot of these problems would have never happened!!!! In closing, I had a good time over all. I met some really good people, some I hope to keep as friends for life. I hope the Company will learn from this and do it right next time. A good start will be, if they are willing to pay for our flights upfront and not a BUS ticket at the end. No the bus was not just for screw ups, don't even waist your time on that!

Anonymous writes: Anonymous - your right on the bus tickets not being for screw ups. They were all that Cohort was willing to pay for unless you were from the sacred Montana NG (Home of TIMMY). If you didn't have your team leaders phone number, why didn't you ask? That is what I did every time I went on a site. I GOT PHONE NUMBERS! The more the merrier.

Anonymous writes: Just heard this morning from an old Team Leader on the OP that Cohort processed this months payroll already... early this time! Glad to see the turn around. Now, hope the holiday doesn't screw us

Anonymous writes: Early? Wait a minute. If you submited an invoice for Oct on the 28th like you were supposed to then the 28 day mark was on the 25th of Nov. Therefore even if you get your money earlier than you did from the first check, well they are late for the second month in a row.

Anonymous writes: This seems a day late and a dollar short, but I only just discovered this thread- almost 2 years after the fact. I too was one of the disenfranchised contractors who worked for Cohort during the hurricane season of 2008. It gives a bit of comfort to know that I was not the only one who got the short stick while on my tour. It also makes me sick that this company got away with all of the abuses they did during a time when people's lives depended upon them. I arrived to their Baton Rouge HQ after responding to an ad on craigslist at my own expense, which I had to borrow from a colleague. After being promised to be met at the airport by one of the staff, I called half a dozen of the given phone numbers for help after waiting for over two hours without the courtesy of a return call. Finally, someone showed. This should have alerted me to what was in store, but I am a "suck it up" kind of guy. In short, I experienced mass confusion and disorder on the part of lower management; arrogance and "been there, done that" sanctimony from upper management; a revolving door of changing team leaders; deception regarding pay, orders and supplies; despicable disregard for operators left in the field in often primitive conditions with little supplies and often no communications; a weapons qual which was a joke- had eye witness verification that at least two people in the group I qual'ed with couldn't competently fire their weapons or acquire their targets and were still issued those weapons. I was at three sites in two weeks time and made a team leader after my second day on the ground. I was ultimately in charge of three sites in Texas and had as many as 20 men under my supervision. I was tasked with the responsibility of providing security for a tent city that housed well over a thousand electrical workers and I wasn't even given comms and only after a couple of days did I receive a vehicle to relieve the few men that were on remote locations with no comms, limited shelter and no food save what they bought for themselves at the store on the way in. It was a nightmare. After repeated pleas with HQ and only given promises and deferments, I resigned my post and flew home. It took over 2 months to receive my pay and only after a colleague of notable influence threatened Cohort with legal action. I never received team leader pay as they claimed they were unable to document my status as such. By the time I actually received my direct deposit, I was finished with that company and too fatigued mentally to pursue further action for the additional pay- this is what they were hoping for, so I guess in the end, they won. I will never work for Cohort again and I have touted their incompetence and my disgust for them to all of my colleagues. I will continue to do so, despite what "Gunny" claims as minor glitches in the system. He never went to bat for this contractor becuase I was never one of the boys in the "old boy" club they catered to. Gunny, you and your Cohorts may have "been there, done that", but you have never run a successful, ethical business that takes care of its customer and its contractors. Shame on you. All I can sum it up with is- just because you've been in the military doesn't mean you know how to do shit. Ad fin.