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Please do your part today. He spent 12 years in the Navy SEALs until he left in 1994 as an E-6 (Quartermaster First Class).Helvenston began training at Blackwater USA's facilities in March 2004, and developed a personal conflict with head trainer Justin "Shrek" McQuown. Promised Iraqis Justice. But their personal contracts also warned of death and/or injury caused by everything from civil uprising and terrorist activity to poisoning and flying debris. In filing its motion to dismiss the lawsuit, Blackwater quoted from its standard contract, insisting that those who sign it fully appreciate the dangers and voluntarily assume these risks as well as any other risks in any way (whether directly or indirectly) connected to the Engagement.. He had two men with him that held Scotty down. Historical Amnesia About Slavery Is a Tool of White Supremacy. Prince has never given a penny to a Democrat. VIDEO: People in Denmark Are a Lot Happier Than People in the United States. KATY HELVENSTON: Scottys daddy died when he was seven, and my youngest son was a year old, and I raised them, and so money was always an issue. Erik Prince refused to speak to me. tn_author: ['jeremy-s'], JUAN GONZALEZ: Now, even in the training period at Blackwater, he began to find problems in terms of the quality of the training that was going on? Within moments, their bodies are dragged from the vehicles and a crowd descends on them, tearing them to pieces. COL. JOHN A. TOOLAN, U.S. Marines: Contractors were easily identified on the roads because they were all in brand-new SUVs 2004 SUV, tinted windows. The U.S. attack was sparked by the gruesome killing of four private contractors inside Fallujah. If you visit us daily or weekly or even just once a month, now is a great time to make your monthly contribution. Lay out this story. According to Department of Labor statistics, at least 425 U.S. civilians have died in Iraq including at least 22 Blackwater contractors. The suit alleges that Blackwater trainer Justin "Shrek" McQuown resented Helvenston and deliberately reassigned Helvenston to the team that was ambushed. Well, Scotty chose the military, and he wanted to continue his education through that. He is the writer, with David Riker, and a producer of the documentary feature filmDirty Wars, released by IFC Films in 2013. But then, the other component to this is that the lawsuit alleges that this Blackwater manager, Justin McQuown, because of his personal animosity toward Scott Helvenston the lawsuit and Katy characterize it as Justin McQuown resented Scott. And then, when we come back, I want to ask you about your request for an incident report from Blackwater to understand what had taken place and also about a memorial service that Blackwater held, and well continue this discussion. AMY GOODMAN: Well, what was the memorial service itself like? You may unsubscribe or adjust your preferences at any time. None of that was true, says attorney Callahan. Jeremy ScahillTwitterJeremy Scahill is the author of the best-selling Blackwater: The Rise of the Worlds Most Powerful Mercenary Army, published by Nation Books. The suit alleges that Blackwater trainer Justin "Shrek" McQuown resented Helvenston and deliberately reassigned Helvenston to the team that was ambushed. JUAN GONZALEZ: Now, at what point did you communicate with the other families of the men who died that day, and how did you decide that you needed to pursue legal action? In a moment she will join us along with her attorney Marc Miles who is representing the families, Marc Miles. KATY HELVENSTON: Well, I was initially I was stunned that I actually had gotten through to Erik Prince. But they were getting paid like Scott Helvenston was getting paid $600 a day. Were joined in our New York studio by Democracy Now! By signing up to receive emails, you agree to receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support The Nation's journalism. And, in fact, the first day that they set out, they were so lost and it was getting late that they ended up staying at an army base on the east side of Fallujah. There is not a whole lot of jobs out there for ex-Special Forces guys, and obviously he didnt realize that at the time. It seemed like an ideal situation for him, as two of his friends from his days on the reality TV show Combat Missions were helping to run the Blackwater operations: John and Kathy Potter. JUAN GONZALEZ: Jeremy, in your article, you talk about some of the contracts that you were able to get copies of, where actually Blackwater was subcontracting to others, but in their contract they deleted certain provisions of the protections of these men, and the men actually complained about it, the superiors complained about it. Justin McQuown is a Director, Engineering at Caretaker Medical based in Charlottesville, Virginia. This is what delegation - I dont mean to be dodging the question, although its kind of convenient in this case, but never- I really will. Its that the United States has opened Iraqs door to mercenaries who roam the country with impunity. All this was shady enoughbut the real danger for Helvenston and the others lay in Blackwaters decision to cut corners to make even more money. Also with us, attorney Marc Miles, who joins us from studio in Irvine, California. Blackwater is being sued for the wrongful deaths of Stephen Scott Helvenston, Mike Teague, Jerko Zovko and Wesley Batalona by the families of the men slain in Falluja. The four men were, in fact, working under contracts guaranteeing that they would travel with a six-person team. And Scott describes how his original team leader tried to appeal to Justin McQuown not to reassign Scott Helvenston at the last second, that this was an insane thing to do. Explore Scott Helvenston net worth, bio, age, height, family, wiki, birthday, career, salary [Last Update 2021]! Helvenston began training at Blackwater USA's facilities in March 2004, and developed a personal conflict with head trainer Justin "Shrek" McQuown. Blackwater sent my son and the other three into Falluja knowing that there was a very good possibility this could happen, says Katy Helvenston, the mother of 38-year-old Scott Helvenston, whose charred body was hung from the Falluja bridge. Scotty had tried to call me in the middle of the night, Katy Helvenston remembers. But first we begin by going back to March 31 2004 the day Scott Helvenston and three other Blackwater contractors drove into Fallujah. Find 1 person named Justin Shreck along with free Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok profiles on PeekYou - true people search. AMY GOODMAN: When was it after the killing? In fairness, though, Justin McQuowns lawyer William Crenshaw did issue a statement to me, in which he said that there were numerous serious inaccuracies in the piece, and then he said that on behalf of his client Justin McQuown, that he wanted to extend his sympathy to the families and called it regrettable that anyone would imply that Justin McQuown had anything to do with the tragedy of what happened in Fallujah. Hooyah! AMY GOODMAN: Did they say it was Fallujah? They said Blackwater.. Since its filing in January 2005, the case has moved slowly through the legal system. Given the uncounted tens of thousands of Iraqis who have died since the invasion and the slaughter in Falluja that followed the Blackwater incident, some might say this lawsuit is just warmongers bickeringno honor among thieves. But while the families were grieving, Blackwater viewed it as a profit opportunity. tn_keyword: ['academi', 'security-c'], Reading this, it would seem that Blackwater has a reasonable defense. Famous Personal Trainer Scott Helvenston was born on June 21, 1965 in Ocala. Helvenston arrived in Kuwait on March 18, where he was under the management of John and Kathy Potter, whom he knew from Combat Missions . Once the cover boy on a Navy calendar, he also had several workout videos. They didnt have a rear gunner. Helvenston arrived for training at Blackwaters North Carolina campus around March 1, 2004. McQuown AMY GOODMAN: And then he was in a Survivor-like program called Combat Missions? According to the suit, McQuown lacked the credentials of Helvenston and other ex-SEALs. They said it was the direct line. The day after the killings, Erik Prince hired the Alexander Strategy Group its a now-disgraced lobbying firm, but it once was very powerful; it was Tom DeLays private lobbying firm, basically hired the Alexander Strategy Group to manage the newfound fame of Blackwater. When they finally said Blackwater, I thought, and I just looked up on the internet and got an 800-number, and I called them, and I said, My name is Katy. I said, Scotty Helvenston is my son. to your inbox each morning. Erik Prince comes from a major powerful Republican family in Michigan. They do not deny that the men were aware of the risks they were taking, but they charge that Blackwater knowingly refused to provide guaranteed safeguards, among them: They would have armored vehicles; there would be three men in each vehiclea driver, a navigator and a rear gunner; and the rear gunner would be armed with a heavy automatic weapon, such as a SAW Mach 46, which can fire up to 850 rounds per minute, allowing the gunner to fight off any attacks from the rear. But, anyway, thats another story. On occasion, Helvenston would attempt to politely assist McQuown by offering his expertise on the correct manner of the particular training exercise. Would he speak to them? And I said, I want an incident report on Scotty. And I said, I want a copy of his contract that he signed with you. And he said, Why? And I said, I just want to know what happened. He said I could he would get it to me in the next few weeks. You know, at least I know he wasnt burned alive. Lets see if we can screw with Scott. Those were like the last words that Scott Helvenston basically wrote before being sent over there to Baghdad. For its part, Blackwater is represented by multiple law firms. Now, they were ultimately to get to the other side of Fallujah. is funded by you, and thats why were counting on your donation to keep us going. KATY HELVENSTON: In the rooms on the balcony, because we had gotten so paranoid, we thought maybe the rooms were tapped or something. Copyright (c) 2023 The Nation Company LLC, By signing up, you confirm that you are over the age of 16 and, agree to receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support. It was merely small-arms fire, which could have been repelled by armored vehicles.. He was dead. AMY GOODMAN: How did you hear that Scott had died? MARC MILES: Because what happened here is the issue is framed in the context of: Did these folks know what they were getting into? We rely on contributions from our viewers and listeners to do our work. These four guys were sent out without armor, without the adequate guns, without adequate personnel, and Blackwater takes it as a moment to say, 'Hey, we're famous now. I didnt want to watch it. And I think that, you know, when we talk about Iraq corruption, a lot of times its Halliburton overcharged for this or Bechtel did this. The article is called Blood Is Thicker Than Blackwater. By the time I got the message hed already been killed., Shortly after Helvenston left that message, the men left the base and set out for their destination. And I called them, and I said, Thats just not acceptable. Its thats how I work. When Democracy Now! And it goes through all the other ones. AMY GOODMAN: Marc, I just want to interrupt for one second. Marc Miles, attorney for the families of the four Blackwater contractors killed in Fallujah, March 31, 2004. has denied any relationship to this and wont talk about it anymore. KATY HELVENSTON: Yeah. And there are other people that have talked to Katy and Marc that have affirmed all of this. But I can imagine that there may be other lawsuits to follow if these companies dont shape up and actually realize what theyre dealing with here. I couldnt believe I was talking to the man. We couldnt hear anything that was being said. JUAN GONZALEZ: But, Marc Miles, Blackwater can claim that the men who sign on with them know exactly the kind of dangers that theyre going into, that they signed contracts that recognized the possible dangers and loss of life or injury that they may suffer. STUDENT: My question is in regards to private military contractors. He was exceptional. If he had had the armored vehicle, if he had had the rear gunner, if he had been familiar with the area He asked. This was not done, according to Miles, so as to pad Blackwaters bottom line and to impress ESS with Blackwaters efficiency in order to win more contracts. He was ranked 12th in the nation in tennis. MARC MILES: Thats correct. A monthly newsletter on the global fight for reproductive freedom. slotId: "thenation_right_rail_72445", AMY GOODMAN: Were you all in the same hotel? Not so, say the families of the four men and their lawyers. Corporations are fictional entitiesthey only act through their personnel, explains Miles. He was a great golfer. Scott Helvenston was a walking ad for the military. targeting:{ And at that point, Scotty was desperate for money, and he went in there. I went up to him, and I tried to shake his hand. His family is linked in with Richard DeVos, the Amway founder who basically funded the Republican revolution of the 1990s. At $21 million, it represented the companys biggest contract in Iraq. In its motion to dismiss the case in federal court, Blackwater argues that the families of the four men killed in Falluja are entitled only to government insurance payments. Im going to call the secretary and say you brought up a very valid question, and what are we doing about it? MARC MILES: I wouldnt be surprised if there are other incidents like this. What happened that day, as far as you have been able to understand and as your lawsuit alleges? The suit further alleges that McQuown intervened and ordered only a four-man team be sent, although six were available, the other two remaining to perform clerical duties. Justin McQuown's nickname, according to documents we've gotten and to other people who were in Kuwait and Iraq at the time, was "Shrek," after the green ogre character, and it doesn't . [6] Youre out of your mind. HAROLD VIDINHA: The first thing that came up was a camera bouncing toward this SUV, and it went right into the car. We will not be intimidated, he said. This was not a roadside bomb, it was not any other explosive device. And he came up to Scotts room a couple days before Scott was murdered and got into an altercation, and he took Scotts gun away from him. He was taken out of that team and put in with men that were wonderful, good people, but he had never met them, he had never worked with them. AMY GOODMAN: What about the other families? So they announced there was going to be a memorial service after you made the call to the head of Blackwater, asking for an incident report. In honor of Public Media Giving Days, a generous donor will DOUBLE your donation, which means itll go twice as far to support our independent journalism. And that may work for some companies that are manufacturing staples or shoes or something along those lines, but what Blackwater doesnt understand here is that the commodity that theyre dealing with is not a paper clip or a staple, but its actually human life, and so what we want to do is we want to create a situation where these companies are held accountable. The deposition was set for January 28, 2005, and Miles was to fly to Alaska, where the Potters were living. The killing was March 31. The problem is that theyre working outside of the military structure, and therefore theyre not subject to court-martial or any particular chain of command, while at the same time theyre working within a country, such as Iraq, which really doesnt have a civil justice system or a police force, which would be able to hold American private security contractors accountable or liable for any of the conduct that they do over there. What Blackwater is trying to do is to sweep all of their wrongful conduct into the Defense Base Act, says Miles. I was thinking of construction when they said contractor. And a couple hours later, they said security contractors, and I said, My god, Scotty is a security contractor, but hes not in Fallujah. But it just shows sort of the breakdown. The suit alleges that Blackwater trainer Justin "Shrek" McQuown resented Helvenston and deliberately reassigned Helvenston to the team that was ambushed. The suit further alleges that McQuown intervened and ordered only a four-man team be sent, although six were available, the other two remaining to perform clerical duties. Previously, Justin was a Research Engineer at L una Innovations and also held positions at AeroVironment, Stryten Manufacturing, GE Healthcare, TopRank Marketing, Emerson, General Electric. And we knew that this was a key component of the insurgent strategy: Get the pictures out, make it look like theyre winning. [6] The suit also alleges that McQuown intentionally refused to allow the Blackwater security contractors to conduct ride-alongs with the teams they were replacing from Control Risk Group. We had argued about him going over there, she recalls. KATY HELVENSTON: It was probably 24, maybe 30-some hours before he was murdered. The lawsuit alleges that these men were defrauded, because Blackwater failed to provide them with the basic minimal guarantees of their contract, among them that they would be in armored vehicles, that they would have heavy weapons, something like a SAW Mach 46 machine gun that could fire up to 850 rounds per minute, and its very key. rocky mountain prep fletcher staff navy seal scott helvenston death video But when these four men ended up in Fallujah that day, they were in Pajero jeeps that were not armored at all. On April 17, President Bush spoke at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. When Helvenston set off for the Middle East, his family thought he was going to be working on Blackwaters high-profile job of guarding the head of the US occupation, Paul Bremer. The man heading the training was Justin McQuown, nicknamed Shrek, after the green ogre movie cartoon character. Sign up for our free daily newsletter, along with occasional offers for programs that support our journalism. Blackwater is able to operate over there in Iraq free from any oversight that would typically exist in a civilized society. [6] Several armed men approach the two vehicles and open fire from behind, repeatedly shooting the men at point-blank range. The families were gathered in a conference room, where they thought they would be told how the men had died. And both the boys knew that if they were going to go through college, they had to figure out a way. Katy Helvenstons son Scott Helvenston is one of the four men who died, the security contractors working for Blackwater on March 31, 2004 in Fallujah. Well, that left Scott no choice. AMY GOODMAN: An excerpt from _Frontline_s program Private Warriors, documentary on the role of private military contractors working in Iraq. On March 30, 2004, Helvenston, Teague, Zovko and Batalona left Baghdad on the ESS security mission. Go ahead. Gen. Mark Kimmitt vowed, We will be back in Falluja. And thats the type of conduct at Blackwater that were dealing with. JEREMY SCAHILL: I think, just in closing, you know, this is such an incredible tragedy, and whats clear from this the allegations in this lawsuit is that it really appears like it was preventable. Blackwater has fought to have the case dismissed by claiming that all liability lies not with the company but the U.S. government. KATY HELVENSTON: They said Fallujah, and I said, well, Scotty, hes in Baghdad. And he did say, Well, its nice to meet you, and then he turned around and left. Helvenston's great-great-uncle was Secretary of War Elihu Root. AMY GOODMAN: Katy Helvenston, when did you last speak to your son Scotty? Theres a lot of innocent people that have died. While this suit doesnt mention the retaliatory US attack on Falluja that followed the Blackwater killings, the case is significant because it could blow the lid off a system that allows corporations to face zero liability while reaping huge profits in Iraq and other war zones. KATY HELVENSTON: Well, apparently he had the audacity to suggest that maybe there was a better way of running these certain missions, in that the people who were subcontracting out with Blackwater would actually survive the mission. So what this lawsuit is about, its about creating accountability for those firms, those private military firms that are working in Iraq, and its also not only about holding Blackwater accountable for these four deaths, but its also about sending a message to the other private security firms out there that they cannot cut costs to increase their bottom line and put lives at risk. JEREMY SCAHILL: Right. He wouldnt accept anything but the very best, and he became a Navy Seal, and he considered that the best. More than 428 private contractors have been killed to date in Iraq, and US taxpayers are footing almost the entire compensation bill to their families. This is about holding Blackwater accountable and about creating accountable and sending a message to other private military firms operating over there. And then you are sending them in undermanned. The thing was see, I mean, they wouldnt even give him a map. Lawyer Paul Dickinson: The U.S. Justin Timberlake voices King Arthur, Fiona's distant cousin and next in line for the throne of Far Far Away after Shrek (who understandably just wants to return to his swamp). And Im thinking this isnt even close to what Blackwater told me. Its going to be deliberate. Scottys not going to die in vain, says his mother. But he chose to go with Blackwater, because they had a two-month contract, and he did not want to leave his children more than two months. Mr. Rumsfeld answered that Iraq has its own domestic laws, which he assumed applied to those private military contractors. Helvenston began training at Blackwater USA's facilities in March 2004, and developed a personal conflict with head trainer Justin "Shrek" McQuown. He said, Give us a map. And they said, Youre going to have to wing it.. He said, Im gonna go over there, make some money, maybe make a difference. Blackwater was paying its men $600 a day but billing Regency $815, according to the Raleigh News and Observer. He was an extremely accomplished Navy Seal, was popular with other guys, and it seems very plausible that he viewed Scott Helvenston as a threat. Hidden Potential Official Site. JEREMY SCAHILL: Per day. Im gonna take care of you. You know, just stuff like that, which obviously wasnt true. As it turned out, Helvenston was slated to carry out a far less glamorous task. On the one hand, you have the allegations that Blackwater systematically defrauded these men by not providing them with the armored vehicles, the weapons, the adequate personnel for the mission, the opportunity to do a pre-trip risk assessment, etc., all the things that Marc Miles has laid out.