security contractor
Hired armed guard
A security contractor is a private individual or company hired to provide protective services—guarding facilities, escorting personnel, or conducting surveillance.
The term gained prominence with firms like Blackwater operating in Iraq and Afghanistan, where security contractors performed functions once reserved for military forces.
The designation can euphemize mercenary work: The embassy employed security contractors rather than soldiers.
- mercenarySoldier fighting for pay
- bodyguardPaid personal security agent
- close protectionSecurity for specific individuals
- executive protectionSecurity for prominent figures
- operativeCovert field agent
armed · tactical · deployment · combat · boots on the ground · hire · protection · convoy · warzone · clearance · firearms · extraction · surveillance · covert · risk · danger pay · embassy · hostile
- securityalarm system, lock, safe, alarm, camera
- protectionbodyguard, armor, gloves, shield, hard hat
- armed groupsmilitia, guerrillas, insurgents, paramilitary, militias
security contractorenlisted soldier
Non-officer in armed forces
career soldier · conscript · military officer · military personnel · volunteer soldier
security contractorterrorist
Violent political intimidator
insurgent · attacker · militant · guerrilla fighter · assailant
security, contractor, secure, securely, insecure, insecurity, securities, securing, secured