Constellis Group, Inc.

Constellis provides training and security services focused on counter terrorism, force protection, and law enforcement and security operations. It also contracts technical personnel to governments in aerospace, defense, and homeland security. Constellis Group was formerly known as Academi Holdings, LLC, and, before that Blackwater. It employs more than 8,000 in the U.S. and 17,000 worldwide, many of whom are former military or law enforcement officials. Constellis operates in many countries.

EARNINGS: Estimated to be approximately $170 million in 2015, valued at an estimated $1 billion.

The Constellis Operative at a Glance

POWERS OF ARREST? No.

EXPECTED TO CARRY A WEAPON? Members of the National Security Division are expected to carry firearms when working.

ACCESS TO OFFICIAL FUNDS? Can be supplied with a credit line if traveling or deployed to a remote location, up to a Major expense without eliciting official review.

OPERATIONAL BUDGET/RESTRICTED ITEMS? Using Bureaucracy, an Agent can access surveillance equipment and small arms (generally carbines and handguns). High-end civilian infrared or low-light cameras or goggles are equivalent to an Unusual expense. Agents can request civilian vehicles as Standard expenses, and may request armored SUVs and town cars as Major expenses. Securing an aerial vehicle such as a drone mission or a helicopter would be an Extreme expense.

The Organization

Constellis was established as a conglomeration of operators and investors who sought to combine assets and people within the risk management industry. Constellis was founded in 2003 as Triple Canopy, Inc., and has grown significantly by absorbing other companies.

In June 2014, Triple Canopy merged with rival security contracting firm Academi (formerly Blackwater) to form the Constellis Group.

Constellis includes the Risk Management and Crisis Response Services Division, the National Security Division, the Humanitarian Operations Division, the Training Division, the Technology and Innovation, and the Logistics and Support Division.

Constellis combines the capabilities and experience of subsidiary legacy enterprises including Academi and Triple Canopy (private military contracting), AMK9 (canine services), Olive Group (high-threat insurance), OMNIPLEX (investigation and intelligence), Centerra (facility operations), Clayton Consultants (risk assessment and incident response), and Strategic Social (business consulting and program management).

Key Constellis Subsidiaries

» Academi (formerly Blackwater)
» Triple Canopy
» AMK9
» Omniplex
» Clayton Consultants
» Strategic Social

Operatives

For its Crisis Response Services Division and Security Division personnel, Constellis recruits former military and law enforcement personnel, particularly those rotating out of special forces or who have combat experience. In most cases, these personnel protect facilities or provide protective security services (“PS” or “PSS”) to government employees in dangerous locales.

Constellis maintains SWAT-equivalent Mobile Security Teams. Staffed by former special operators, marksmen, and tactical medical personnel, these teams react to situations like kidnappings. Constellis also has a personnel focused on training private-sector and government personnel to operate safely in high-threat environments.

Outside security, Constellis hires professionals that already have some background in their fields. The company pays well and is the leader in private military contracting. It can be selective in who it hires.

Authority and Mandate

Constellis is a leading provider of risk management and operational support services worldwide. It maintains active contracts with the Department of State, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and state governments

Field Operations

Constellis has employees around the world. Employment with Constellis usually entails significant travel except for those working in the logistics, human resources, and support fields. Even training and technology-focused jobs have a high likelihood of domestic and international travel as the company shuffles personnel and assets to support its contracts. The company has less bureaucracy and more funds for travel than its government counterparts. Compared to government employees doing the same job, Constellis employees have a much freer hand to get where they need to be or participate in conferences, training, or temporary deployments.

Areas of Friction

Constellis continues to try to outpace its Blackwater legacy. Blackwater and Academi employees were involved in a number of violent scandals in Iraq in the 2000s, some of which led to convictions. That still casts a dark cloud over Constellis, particularly with lawmakers and the media.

Constellis’ niche as a private military contractor means it is seen as a necessary evil by nearly everyone it comes into contact with, from employers to host governments. Constellis employees, especially those authorized to carry firearms, come under frequent scrutiny by regulatory bodies.

Playing Constellis

Attitude is everything. Having the correct attitude is vital to surviving and networking within the contracting community. Whether you did your four years in the military and got out, or if you are a retired special operator that has seen it all, everyone at Constellis has met a certain threshold of professional experience.

When deployed, on site, or on a temporary protective detail, remember that the client is in charge. If you piss off the wrong person, you could be on a plane home the next day. Your supervisors expect you to be professional, a point that cannot be stressed enough. You are an expert and you must project an air of decorum.

You often miss mail and medical services when on a detail, especially if you are deployed abroad.

Keep in mind that the excuse of “I was just following orders” is not sufficient violations of the Law of Armed Conflict or an embarrassing breach of policy. No one is looking out for you. Get everything in writing, from resignation notices to issues within your chain of command. Look out for number one. Always.

As an armed contractor, you get paid well but have no job security. The culture of Constellis is to get in, get paid, and get out. Turnover is high. If you get injured, you are done. These are contracts, not full-time jobs with benefits. Constellis is here to make money. If you can’t be in the field or training a client, you are no longer useful.

Your most important asset is not a weapon, it is verbal judo. Communication under pressure not only saves you a lot of money, it can make you look like a rockstar with your client if
you defuse a situation by talking your way out of it.

If you work locally or in a support capacity, take a deep breath. Constellis’ leadership focuses on keeping the trigger-pullers happy, not you. Summary terminations and mass layoffs aren’t unheard of. The place is filed with alpha personalities. If you aren’t ready to aggressively advance your career at the cost of others, you probably won’t last
long. Tread lightly around upper management, particularly the military types.

Suggested Professions

Mobile Security Team (MST)
You are hand-picked from within Constellis to work with high-paying clients on issues of extortion, kidnap, hostage-taking, piracy, and emergency evacuations. Your team is ready to deploy to rough areas at a moment’s notice
   PROFESSION: Special Operator.
   SUGGESTED BONUS SKILLS: Computer Science,
HUMINT, Persuade, Search.
   EQUIPMENT: Per TOOLS OF THE TRADE: SPECIAL OPERATOR on page 85 of the Agent’s Handbook.

Tactical Roleplayer (TR)
You play the opposition in realistic field training.
   PROFESSION: Soldier.
   SUGGESTED BONUS SKILLS: Disguise, HUMINT, Persuasion, Stealth
   EQUIPMENT: Clothes appropriate to regional hot spots, a handgun, and a number of firearms that have been rendered inoperable or that shoot paint pellets.

Defensive Designated Marksman (DDM)
You are a mercenary sniper. You cover your team and the client in hostile locales
   PROFESSION: Special Operator.
   SUGGESTED BONUS SKILLS: Alertness, Craft (Gunsmith), Firearms, Search.
   EQUIPMENT: Per TOOLS OF THE TRADE: SWAT TEAM on page 85 of the Agent’s Handbook, as well as a sniper rifle with telescopic, infrared, low light, holographic, and laser sights.

Protective Security Specialist (PSS)
You are a bodyguard. You travel with your client and are never more than a few meters away. If things get dangerous, your job is to keep the client safe, not yourself.
   PROFESSION: Police Officer.
   SUGGESTED BONUS SKILLS: Alertness, First Aid, Foreign Language, Stealth.
   EQUIPMENT: Per TOOLS OF THE TRADE: SWAT TEAM on page 85 of the Agent’s Handbook. You also have low-visibility firearms such as easy-to-conceal handguns and carbines or submachine guns designed to fit into and easily deploy from briefcases.

Paramedic (P-PSS)
You work alongside Protective Security to be on hand if there are injuries or if a client has significant medical issues.
   PROFESSION: Paramedic
   SUGGESTED BONUS SKILLS: Firearms, Melee Weapons,
Search, Unarmed Combat.
   EQUIPMENT: Per TOOLS OF THE TRADE: SWAT TEAM on page 85 of the Agent’s Handbook, as well as portable medical and triage equipment in watertight cases.

All-Source Socio-Cultural Analyst (ASM)
Clients want to know about the regional and culture they are dealing with. You are adept at knowing your region of expertise and keeping abreast of significant economic, political, and social trends.
   PROFESSION: Media Specialist.
   SUGGESTED BONUS SKILLS: Bureaucracy, Computer
Science, Foreign Language (choose one), Law.
   EQUIPMENT: An electronic library of books and
journals on your region of expertise.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:17, Mon 22 Apr 2019.

Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT)

Lockheed Martin is one of the largest companies in the aerospace, defense, security, and technologies industry. It is the world’s largest defense contractor based on revenue. In 2015 its contracts accounted for more than 10% of the money paid out by the Pentagon. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, and employs about 100,000 worldwide. It is the largest military aircraft producer in the world. The company specializes in advanced engineering, particularly for the Air Force and NASA.

EARNINGS: Estimated at $3.6 billion in 2015. The company is valued at an estimated $45 billion.

The Lockheed Operative at a Glance

POWERS OF ARREST? No.

EXPECTED TO CARRY A WEAPON? No.

ACCESS TO OFFICIAL FUNDS? Can be supplied with a credit line if traveling or deployed to a remote location, up to a Major expense without eliciting official review

OPERATIONAL BUDGET/RESTRICTED ITEMS? Using Bureaucracy, an Agent can access facilities throughout the United States and abroad, some of which hold highly classified experiments or projects. As a Standard expense, an Agent can access a company owned vehicle.

The Organization

Lockheed Martin operates in five business segments: Aeronautics, Information Systems and Global Solutions, Missiles and Fire Control, Rotary and Mission Systems, and Space Systems. Lockheed products include the SR-71 Blackbird, the F-16 Fighting Falcon, and the C-130 Hercules, but a greater percentage of Lockheed’s sales come from Information Systems and Space Systems rather than Aeronautics. Besides traditional defense contracts, Lockheed invests in healthcare systems, renewable energy systems, intelligent energy distribution and compact nuclear fusion.

Lockheed’s customers include the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the Department of Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency. It provides surveillance and information processing for the CIA, the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the National Security Agency (NSA), the Pentagon, the Census Bureau, and the Postal Service.

Lockheed’s Advanced Development Programs (ADP) is its famed “Skunk Works.” This autonomous program allows engineers and scientists considerable leeway in exploring technologies. The Skunk Works was in part responsible for breakthroughs in stealth technology, transatmospheric flight, advanced temperture resistant composites, and remote equipment operation. The program is under considerable security by Lockheed and Department of Defense.


Key Business Areas

» Aeronautics
» Missiles and Fire Control
» Rotary and Missions Systems
» Space

Operatives

Lockheed builds and sells very expensive and technologically advanced things. Its employees largely come from business, engineering, and technology backgrounds. Engineers of all types, computer programmers, finance experts, logisticians, project managers, accountants, and artists are all employed in large numbers at Lockheed, supported by experienced information technology and human-resources personnel.

At Lockheed, a civilian can work on some of the U.S. government’s most sensitive and classified projects. The company recruits top talent out of university (especially engineers) and then contracts that talent to the government for specific projects. While on a contract, Lockheed employees are subject to their clients’ oversight.

Authority and Mandate

Lockheed Martin supplies engineering solutions to the U.S. government, especially military advances. Many of its positions require Top Secret clearance and the ability to qualify for special-access programs. It has a reputation for results, and is one of the government’s preferred partners on engineering projects.

Field Operations

Lockheed spends liberally on many of its employees, especially those working on active government contracts. For those employees, travel and training funds are easily approved as long as the proposed trip has some connection to the contract.

Areas of Friction

Lockheed is often rivals with other engineering-focused private companies like Boeing, Raytheon, and General Dynamics. All aggressively (and repeatedly) compete for the same multi-million-dollar contracts.

Lockheed has a reputation for being quite expensive and for cost overruns. This can bring it to loggerheads with oversight boards in government agencies and Congress. Lockheed has a number of contracts with other governments and comes under similar scrutiny with them.

Playing Lockheed

You work for a game-changer and goliath in the engineering world. Luckily, the corporate culture is pretty good. Lockheed’s leadership knows that its dominance is based on hiring the best and brightest and then retaining them. That means salaries are always competitive, work conditions are generally pretty good, the benefits are some of the best out there, and diversity is embraced. You also likely enjoy a pretty solid work/ life balance.

There are exceptions to the good things Lockheed offers. It is a conglomeration of a lot of engineering companies after all, so locations and projects may engender different costs and benefits. Being part of a poorly-run team can be miserable and your best chance to rotate to another team is to either underperform badly, or see the contract through.

You are expected to produce. Contacts are about making money, and that happens when your team executes. Lockheed’s corporate environment will push you into either sinking or swimming. They hired you and pay you well because they expect you wont need a good deal of hand-holding. If you can’t keep up to pace, you won’t get fired from the company, but you’ll likely be moved to a different program.

You probably need a security clearance. Even human resources people occasionally need clearances. This is a product of working so closely with the military. While Lockheed is generally engineer-friendly, it is also very steeped in military culture. You will need to have a passing familiarity with rank and specialties in the military so you know who your clients are.

You are also likely beholden to two masters. Lockheed writes your checks, but you also must keep your client happy. If you are a contractor, you may work within the Pentagon or another government installation embedded with a government team. In those cases, your boss is almost always a government employee; either a civilian program manager or active duty. Balancing the two masters can sometimes be tricky, especially if the client is unhappy with your results.

If you are lucky enough to work at the Skunk Works, the security environment is particularly intense. You are expected to observe operational security at all times. This means not talking about your project even during off hours. Your social circle likely revolves around other Skunk Works employees, its just easier to be around them since they understand what you deal with. What you pay for in omnipresent security demands, you make up for by working on bleeding edge technology and a work environment that values creativity and unorthodox approaches.

Suggested Professions

Senior Research Scientist—Robotics & Autonomy
You are part of Lockheed’s Advanced Technology Laboratories (LM ATL) that is exploring the boundaries of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems.
   PROFESSION: Computer Scientist.
   SUGGESTED BONUS SKILLS: Anthropology, Science
(Biology), Science (Logic), Science (Physics).
   EQUIPMENT: An electric library on everything from neurobiology, to philosophy, to virology, to kinesiology to linguistics. You also have access to computers connected via advanced neural networks.

Engineer/Advanced Programs
You work at the elite Skunk Works program on a project considered “disruptive,” “next generational,” or “cutting edge.” Your work likely has something to do with advanced aircraft.
   PROFESSION: Engineer.
   SUGGESTED BONUS SKILLS: Heavy Machinery, Military
Science (Air), Military Science (Air), Pilot (Aircraft).
   EQUIPMENT: A large library on engineering and
materials science.

Test Pilot/Advanced Programs
You work as a Skunk Works test pilot. Your job makes astronauts jealous.
   PROFESSION: Pilot.
   SUGGESTED BONUS SKILLS: Computer Science, Heavy
Machinery, Pilot (Aircraft), Science (Physics)
   EQUIPMENT: Technical manuals and reams of testing data on whatever airframe you are working with. You also have access to classified material on your program’s performance. While you are the pilot for something super slick, its under so much scrutiny it is in no way “yours.”

Systems Risk Analyst
You are responsible for anticipating physical, financial, and cyber risks to a program or facility. You are especially cognizant to the threat of corporate espionage.
   PROFESSION: Program Manager.
   SUGGESTED BONUS SKILLS: Alertness, Criminology,
SIGINT, Stealth.
   EQUIPMENT: You have access to all parts of a program or facility, from the computer systems to the janitor’s closet. You also control the logs of when people access said program or facility.

Space Operations
You staff a control room that monitors satellites and rocket programs. You work with advanced statistical models and trend analysis to develop and execute satellite projects.
   PROFESSION: Computer Scientist.
   SUGGESTED BONUS SKILLS: Navigation, Science (Astrophysics), Science (Mathematics), Science (Statistics).
   EQUIPMENT:  A large library on computer programs on modeling and predicting ballistic paths as well as access to a lot of information on electrical engineering. You have key-cards to enter the control room and the clearance to access the output of your program’s satellite.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:16, Wed 18 Oct 2023.

CACI International Inc. (CACI) & Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. (BAH)

CACI (pronounced “kah kee”), or Consolidated Analysis Center, and Booz Allen Hamilton (often shortened to “Booz”) are provide specialized contractors to government and private industry. Both companies’ employees specialize in intelligence, analytics, technology, cybersecurity, and engineering.

Booz is known for staffing contracts with the CIA, NRO, NGA and NSA, while CACI is best known for filling positions with the DIA, the Pentagon, and federal law enforcement. They are functionally similar in the services they offer.

EARNINGS: CACI’s earnings were estimated at approximately $130 million in 2015. The company is valued at an estimated $3.5 billion.

BAH’s earnings were estimated at approximately $240 million in 2015. The company is valued at an estimated $3 billion.

CACI and BAH Operative at a Glance

POWERS OF ARREST? No.

EXPECTED TO CARRY A WEAPON? No.

ACCESS TO OFFICIAL FUNDS? Can be supplied with a credit line if traveling or deployed to a remote location, up to a major expense without eliciting official review.

OPERATIONAL BUDGET/RESTRICTED ITEMS? Using Bureaucracy, an Agent can access facilities throughout the United States and abroad, some of which hold highly classified experiments or projects. As a Standard expense, an Agent can access a company owned vehicle.

The Organization

CACI and BAH provide a valuable commodity: precleared, qualified experts in intelligence gathering, analysis, operations, management, and engineering. These contractors slot into their positions quickly and without the lag time associated with internal hirings. That also raises the risk of catastrophic breaches. Edward Snowden was a BAH contractor.

Seniority is defined within semi-autonomous divisions and offices, usually led by a vice president or equivalent. A team lead serves as the project manager. Teams are assigned specific contacts. When a contract concludes, the companies prefer to keep the team intact while it searches for a new contract that fits the team’s skill.

CACI employs about 18,000 employees. BAH has about 22,000 employees. Because of U.S. government funding priorities, both CACI and BAH are aggressively focused on counterterror contacts within DoD, DHS, and the intelligence community

Key CACI Divisions

» Business Systems
» Command and Control
» Cybersecurity
» Intelligence Services
» Space Operations and Resiliency
» Surveillance and Reconnaissance

Key BAH Divisions

» Civil Government
» Defense and Intelligence
» Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
» International
» Commercial

Operatives

CACI and BAH target two types of employees. On the technical side, the companies like to hire recent graduates with advanced degrees engineering or computer science. Recent graduates come cheaper than veterans but are still seen as more than capable.

They also seek experienced employees leaving the government. They are contracted back to the government (rarely with the same agency) to work on specific projects. These veterans are usually hired in non-technical fields like intelligence. CACI and BAH are particularly keen to hire retired military and intelligence professionals.

Employees can come from all walks of life and with a wide range of skills and experience. Both companies hire human resources professionals, engineers of all types, language specialists, educators, and skilled tradesmen.

CACI and BAH employees receive clearances from their client agency, which leads to the same contractors being assigned to different contracts in the same agency. Both companies conduct their own background checks during the hiring process to ensure ne employees will quickly qualify for clearance when the time comes.

Authority and Mandate

CACI and BAH fulfill more than military and intelligence billets. Both provide specialized personnel to state and local governments for specific projects and, less often, to non-government organizations and nonprofits.

Field Operations

Depending on the contract, travel can be a considerable. Travel budgets are usually much more robust for contractors than their government counterparts. Contractors generally receive less scrutiny for their travel than government employees, allowing the freedom to attend conferences or travel on “familiarization” trips.

Areas of Friction

CACI and BAH compete for contracts and treat each other as rivals. Similar companies like SAIC seek the same contracts, though CACI and BAH are premiere contractors in the defense, security, and intelligence sectors.

Within the government, contractors like CACI and BAH are generally seen in a positive light. They provide soft landing spots for retirees. Contracting positions capture in-demand or expensive specific skill sets, especially in the technical fields, that regulated government salaries can’t secure.

Playing CACI and BAH

You likely wanted to work in the government or at a nonprofit, and this is the route you took. Perhaps government positions were not available, or perhaps you saw an opportunity to make a reasonable paycheck. Or you might have left the government just to contract yourself back to it.

You have a degree in a desirable field. That makes you a desirable commodity, and you conduct yourself appropriately.

If you have been around a while, you have been through multiple contracts and clients. Your federal colleagues work in the same offices doing the same things for years. Since you rarely work on a project for more than a few years, you have a more expansive understanding of government agencies and private-sector companies. You have a good idea of what works and what doesn’t.

If you are on the intelligence side, you spend time working in SCIFs for the DIA, CIA, INR, maybe even NSA. Military, anti-terror, narcos…you’ve seen the raw intel and dissected it. It is the same if you are in law enforcement or the nonprofit sector.

Like all contractors, you are beholden to two masters, your company and the client. Your client controls the contract, and your job is to make them happy. They need to believe you are fulfilling their expectations and making progress towards fulfillment. (Whether you actually are is another matter). In most cases, the client is your day-to-day boss. You likely work at a government building or nonprofit headquarters. While CACI or BAH writes your checks, it feels like you are part of the client agency or group.

There’s an art to fulfilling a contract. Your company charges the client in billable hours. It is not about being productive, it is about looking productive and keeping the client happy. Usually, this means advancing the project—but executing a project too quickly can raise the ire of management.

Clients change expectations, modify goals, and shift processes, and you are in no place to disagree. If necessary, you and your team smile, nod, and quietly change all the work you just completed. CACI and BAH require the client to be happy with you, no matter how outrageous their demands.

Suggested Professions

Targeting Officer
Targeters are trained to identify the people, relationships, and organizations of the illegal arms trade, drug networks, terrorist nodes, cyber threats, and counterintelligence. They are most often contracted to the CIA, DIA, and FBI.
   PROFESSIONAL SKILLS:
» Accounting 50%
» Anthropology 60%
» Bureaucracy 40%
» Computer Science 40%
» Criminology 50%
» Foreign Language (choose one) 50%
» Forensics 30%
» HUMINT 60%
» History 60%
» SIGINT 60%
   BONDS: 3
   SUGGESTED BONUS SKILLS: Bureaucracy, History, Law, Search.
   EQUIPMENT: Access to classified detailed analyses of high-profile subjects and organizations, as well as mountains of electronic surveillance data

Contracting Signals Analyst
Signals analysts decrypt and decipher electronic intercepts and present their findings so people understand the implications. They are most often contracted to the NSA.
   PROFESSION: Computer Scientist.
   SUGGESTED BONUS SKILLS: Art (Writing), Bureaucracy, Foreign Language, HUMINT.
   EQUIPMENT: Access to considerable classified data on the current project, and possibly data from previous projects at different agencies

Digital Forensics Analyst
Forensic analysts combine computer science with forensic skills to recover information from computers and storage devices. They are most often contracted to the FBI, U.S. Marshals, DEA, and CIA.
   PROFESSION: Computer Scientist.
   SUGGESTED BONUS SKILLS: Accounting, Forensics,
HUMINT, Science (Statistics).
   EQUIPMENT: Access to a wide range of computer programs that identify intrusions, recover lost data, and trace hackers.

Counterintelligence Interrogator
A CI interrogator is usually former military, most likely an intelligence officer. A CI interrogator extracts useful information from detainees and packages that information for use in operations. Despite their reputation, they very rarely use torture. They are most often contracted to the FBI, CIA, or DIA.
   PROFESSION: Equivalent to Foreign Service Officer.
   SUGGESTED BONUS SKILLS: Firearms, HUMINT, Persuade, Pharmacy.
   EQUIPMENT: Access to pharmaceuticals and medicines to aid in questioning subjects, and access to a library on behavioral anthropology and specialized topics like microexpression analysis.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:17, Wed 18 Oct 2023.

RAND Corporation

The RAND Corporation (“Research ANd Development”) is a nonprofit policy and research think tank. Since the 1950s, RAND research has helped guide U.S. policy on issues from the space race to the U.S.–Soviet nuclear arms confrontation, social welfare programs, the digital revolution, and national health care. RAND performs research for governments, international organizations, and private companies and foundations. RAND uses quantitative processes like economics and the physical sciences. RAND has a reputation for politically unbiased and forward-thinking programs that can be controversial. RAND is also a degree-granting institution with its Pardee Graduate School, a world-renowned public policy program.

EARNINGS: As a nonprofit, RAND technically does not have earnings. In 2015 its endowment was worth about $230 million.

The RAND Operative at a Glance

POWERS OF ARREST? No.

EXPECTED TO CARRY A WEAPON? No.

ACCESS TO OFFICIAL FUNDS? RAND strictly controls expenses. With Bureaucracy, an Agent can access equipment or funds up to a Standard expense, but that almost always comes under official review.

OPERATIONAL BUDGET/RESTRICTED ITEMS? No.

The Organization

RAND is organized in divisions. Most of the divisions, like External Affairs, Research Services and Operations, Finance, and Human Resources support the Pardee School as well as the Research and Analysis Division. The Research and Analysis Division is the heart of RAND. Subdivisions of Research and Analysis include the Homeland Security Operational
Analysis Center, Army Research, National Security Research, Education and Labor, Health, and Project AIR FORCE.

RAND employs about 1700 employees in facilities and campuses throughout the United States and satellite operations around the world.

About half of RAND’s research involves national security issues and its work is often classified. RAND analyzes the application and acquisition of of manpower, personnel, and resources in the security realm. Other programs study strategy, military doctrine, and tactics, particularly as they apply to new or recurring types of conflict like cyber and insurgencies. RAND is also known for its health policy work, particularly in age and workforce productivity.

Key RAND Project Divisions and Research Programs

» Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center
» Army Research Division (Arroyo Center)
» Project AIR FORCE
» National Security Research
» Health Care
» Education and Labor

Operatives

RAND employees are highly educated, many with masters’ degrees or doctorates. Many research employees come from math, statistics, or physical science backgrounds. Public policy experts and scientists are the plurality of RAND’s researchers, but just about any discipline can find a home at RAND.

RAND hires staff from many backgrounds, looking to bring in experts and thinkers from many cultures and backgrounds in order to foster new ideas and an intellectually challenging atmosphere. RAND’s senior researchers and leaders are as likely to be women as men. RAND hires non-Americans to broaden the diversity of backgrounds and approaches in their projects.

Authority and Mandate

RAND’s research mandates are decided by its leadership and outside sponsors. RAND occasionally performs unsolicited research projects, but most of its work is requested and funded by outside organizations.

RAND was the first federally funded research and development center, or FFRDC. It works for the Army, Homeland Security, the Air Force, and the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. RAND has access to classified and sensitive files that are not otherwise available to civilian researchers.

Field Operations

When not in the field doing research, most RAND employees are indoors and in front of computers. Team members are both academic and practical experts in
their fields and are expected to go “hands on” whenever possible. Travel funds for RAND employees are easy to secure, especially those visiting institutions or facilities connected to their research projects.

Areas of Friction

RAND has a reputation for controversial reports. In the 1950s, RAND made a mathematically based argument for a first strike against the Soviet Union and  significant military spending on nuclear forces. In the 1960s, its reports set the stage for intervention into Southeast Asia, which would become the Vietnam War. In the 1980s and 1990s, RAND’s research into the health industry were used to argue against universal healthcare. Recent controversial reports questioned the utility of public projects like hydroelectric dams.

Rumors and conspiracy theories dog the company. It is under continuous scrutiny by public watchdog groups eager to critique RAND’s conclusions and any perception of malfeasance.

Playing RAND

RAND attracts some of the best and brightest in science and the humanities. It sells itself as a place where radical ideas and the scientific method can be turned into policy.

RAND takes pride in its reputation and expects intelligence and initiative from its researchers. You are challenged to stay away from the “safe.” You bring creativity to traditional research, and if you come up with uncomfortable results, that is OK. RAND’s leadership is fine with radical conclusions and is willing to go to bat publically for controversial or unpopular results. What RAND leadership will not tolerate is bias. Political preference and pushing towards specific conclusions are for lesser think tanks.

In scientific fashion, failure is just as important as success. The end goal should always be practical, but unconventional thinking is embraced. RAND wants pathfinders and leaders in their fields. It gets them by producing new and interesting processes and results.

RAND prides itself on diversity. Almost fifty percent of RAND’s staff are not American. Additionally, the Pardee Graduate School’s student body is made up of graduate students from more than 20 countries, many of whom join RAND after graduating. RAND’s leadership believes that heterogeneous employees help foster a productive, challenging, and creative environment. Its researchers tend to agree.

Suggested Professions

Army Fellow Visiting Analyst
Fellows are active-duty Army officers brought into the Army Research program as experts on how the Army operates.
   PROFESSION: Intelligence Analyst.
   SUGGESTED BONUS SKILLS: Bureaucracy, Military
Science (Land), Navigate, Science (Ballistics).
   EQUIPMENT: A library on strategy and tactics and engineering analyses of military hardware.

Drug Policy Researcher
This division studies alcohol and drug use to better inform policymakers about addictive substances.
   PROFESSION: Scientist.
   SUGGESTED BONUS SKILLS: Criminology, Law, Mathematics, Pharmacy.
   EQUIPMENT: Many contacts in the pharmaceutical
and law enforcement worlds.

Project AIR FORCE Researcher (PAF)
PAF evaluates the effectiveness of Air Force weapons and technology, and analyzes the use of Air Force assets to better anticipate future threats.
   PROFESSION: Scientist.
   SUGGESTED BONUS SKILLS: Bureaucracy, Craft (Mechanic or Microelectronics), Military Science (Air), SIGINT.
   EQUIPMENT: Technical manuals and professional journals on mathematics, physics, material science, electronics, and topics specific to the current project.

R&D Theoretical Mathematician
A theoretical mathematician proves abstract theorems, develops mathematical descriptions (models) to explain or predict phenomena, and identifies data trends.
   PROFESSION: Scientist.
   SUGGESTED BONUS SKILLS: Bureaucracy, History, Science (Systems Theory), Science (Quantum Theory).
   EQUIPMENT:  A large library on math, quantum physics, and other scientific pursuits; and a suite of computer programs and applications for modeling theories.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:24, Mon 22 Apr 2019.