It seems that corruption is everywhere, and it exists even in the most disciplined branch of the government. The oldest record of this act in the military was recorded in the Revolutionary War when the contractors had overcharged the supplies or delivered substandard goods to the troops. Instead of resolving such actions, it grew during the Civil War, when companies sold inferior equipment or supplies to the Union Army. This did not stop, as all over the 20th century, cases emerged during major conflicts such as the Korean War, Vietnam War, and World War II. However, the latest scheme was when higher-ranking officials used ghost soldiers in order to have a higher paycheck.

This will make you wonder if the military needs to have a pay raise, and whether the government is doing its job to support these troops. Or, is this just a human nature form of greediness wanting to have more?

Ghost Soldiers: Definition and Role in Military Strategy

These terms have been used to represent those listed in the military payroll but not really serving or may even be deceased. These ghost soldiers or ghost battalions have been used by influential local entities such as army officers or others. Some say that these types of soldiers even know what is happening as they have returned to their civilian life while their identity is being used for payroll; in return, they will gain some marginal income.

The negative side of this is that it weakens the military in terms of funds and benefits to those who are really serving and need it. This practice became a prevalent problem during the Iraq War, which was considered one of the most contentious conflicts in modern history.

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Payrolls from the ghost soldiers have been kept, which inflated the number of troops based on records. An analysis was made in 2008 by Philip Jones and John Hudson. It was found that the higher demand for these inactive soldiers causes lower reported maintenance costs.

Historical Context of Ghost Soldiers in Military

Using such inactive troops to boost others' payroll is not new, and this type of corruption has been used throughout history to help others score more money. This tactic has been used to manage military payrolls, conceal corruption, and inflate troop numbers, making it a front where there are a lot of service members on the battlefield and manpower is enough.

One of the oldest examples dates back to the Ottoman Empire, wherein they employed ghost soldiers during their campaigns. Their officials would collect the salaries of these non-existent soldiers, and this practice continued.

In modern-day, during the Vietnam War, the South Vietnamese government had created a lot of ghost soldiers to make it look like they had enough manpower. With this tactic, they could secure more military aid from the United States. In the Soviet-Afghan War, the people have accused the Afghan government of using such a trick to inflate their troop numbers. In the Iraq War, there were around 50,000 ghost soldiers that were registered in the Iraqi military's payroll, which caused billions of dollars in wasted aid.

Impact of Ghost Soldiers on Modern Military Operations

Using inactive troops for personal gain can have severe consequences. An example is Iraq; this action hindered the efforts of the United States to establish a stable and secure Iraq. There are billions of dollars that have been wasted on aid that could have been used for other, more important purposes. Also, this resulted in unnecessary loss of lives for both parties. Lastly, the public's confidence in the government had vanished, as the people may think that the government could not carry out the missions effectively.

There are various ways that the DOD has addressed the issue, such as resolving the issue and restoring faith in the government. One of the most immediate actions was the use of a Biometric Automated Toolset System. This system is used to get a more accurate count of soldiers in hopes of reducing corruption by using biometric data to identify a service member. This could have been a perfect tool; however, the system faced a lot of flaws. It was not as effective as it was intended to be.

This issue needs to be fixed as soon as possible since, in early 2019, there were around 42,000 ghost soldiers that were removed.

Suggested reads:

• Did Kamala Harris Serve In the US Military?
• 2024 Wounded Warrior Project Scandal Adds to Growing List Over the Years
• Members of the Ghost Army WW2 Awarded Long-Awaited Gold Medal

Sources:

• Ghost Soldiers
• American Revolution
• The corrupt use of ‘Ghost Soldiers’ in the Iraq War