"What is the difference between 'outsourcing' this type of military quasi-combat support and the hiring of professional mercenaries"? I posit that there is no difference. Euphemizing does not change the substance of a thing or an action.
If there is a need for mercenaries as a component of 'force projection', then it is disingenuous and morally vacuous to hide behind a word-facade. This is another misstep in the arena of political correctness. We are 'better than that' as a nation.
Should our elected politicians and military leaders determine that mercenary support is a real and justified need, then they must lead clearly in that direction. To do otherwise makes us less as a people.

Eh, it's a living

One place to draw the line is with a clear, universally understood definition of inherently governmental.

We know that's up for reconsideration by the administration, as it never has been clear. What you describe seems to be over the line of the effective definition of today, however. As in Vietnam, advisers and trainers in Iraq will necessarily be in combat, the best OJT there is.

For this administration, that's probably not a problem. As with "torture," the White House could cynically redefine the word, claim our government never violated anything, and have Justice paper over any pesky legalisms, clearing the way for combat or quasi-combat contractors.

This is what dealing with Rumsfeld's concept of a streamlined military will get us. It takes so many boots on the ground to do any task and if you don't have the numbers within the military apparatus, you have to look to outfits like Blackwater, which deals in guns and death, for the right price.
We are witnessing the downfall of the United States and dumbasses like Rumsfeld still think they made a fine contribution to the nation by downsizing the military.
The sharks are circling and they sense that the once all-powerful United States military, is really just a paper tiger that can't even defeat or contain a third rate power like Iraq.

When will the sharks come in for the kill?

This is what dealing with Rumsfeld's concept of a streamlined military will get us. It takes so many boots on the ground to do any task and if you don't have the numbers within the military apparatus, you have to look to outfits like Blackwater, which deals in guns and death, for the right price.
We are witnessing the downfall of the United States and dumbasses like Rumsfeld still think they made a fine contribution to the nation by downsizing the military.
The sharks are circling and they sense that the once all-powerful United States military, is really just a paper tiger that can't even defeat or contain a third rate power like Iraq.

When will the sharks come in for the kill?

The point being overlooked is that our 'active military'is also comprised entirely of contractors. What difference is there between an all-volunteer, i.e., non-conscripted, military where each and every individual signed a contract to be employed and an all-volunteer civilian workforce bought with the dollars that couldn't entice people to wear the uniform? As I see it, the former is a contractor that plays on patriotism to entice workers, while the latter simply plays on good old fashioned capitalism. Motivations notwithstanding, there isn't a lick of difference between the two of 'em.

Hey, is that all you do? Repeat, rewrite, and recycle old news? Borrrrrrrring...

Gee Whiz! Mercinaries!!! The Brits did this with Hessians (Germans) to fight the Continentials. Bad move. Our Soldiers. Our Blood. Our Honor or it's a load of "Manure." What God awful Wuzzies in Congress and the Leftist media concocted such a plan as to pull down the man hood and woman hood of the American fighting force.

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