Washington pulse.

• Position: Brief article

"At least 190,000 contractor personnel work in Iraq on contracts funded by the United States. The ratio of U.S.-funded contractor employees to members of the U.S. military is therefore approximately 1 to 1."

Congressional Budget Office August 2008 report

"You will deal with politics ... but you must remain apolitical ... now and in retirement."

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, in his "chief of staff guidance" distributed to all service members.

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