Academi

ACADEMI

Originally going under the name Blackwater USA, American private military company ACADEMI was established in 1997 by ex-U.S. Navy SEAL Erik Prince. Blackwater was awarded its first government contract in 2000, and in order for the company to fulfill it, more than 100,000 sailors were trained for action. Blackwater was heavily – and controversially – involved in the Iraq War. In 2009 Prince stepped down as CEO, and the firm, by then known as Blackwater Worldwide, was rebranded Xe Services LLC. In 2010 private investors took over, and the company became ACADEMI in 2011. According to its official website, ACADEMI offers “stability and protection to people and locations experiencing turmoil.” And it works with “federal, state and local government clients, global commercial customers, numerous law enforcement and intelligence organizations and agencies and allied governments worldwide.”