Jody Ray Bennett is a freelance writer and researcher, and has worked at various levels in academic, private and governmental sectors. He is currently a correspondent for the International Relations and Security Network's Security Watch, where he provides analysis and commentary on an array of topics in International Affairs, specifically regarding the role of private military and security contractors. He reposts many of these articles and additional commentary on his blog, The Non-State Unlimited.

He is also finishing a contractwith a provider under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (LA-DHH) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

He has recently been invited by Chatham House and the RAND Corporation to take part in an upcoming publication that details and contrasts the various markets for force in several different countries and regions of the globe. It is the first project of its kind and the results will be featured at the 2012 International Studies Association.

Jody Ray Bennett holds a graduate degree in International Relations from the Universiteit van Amsterdam's Graduate School of Social Sciences (formerly the International School for the Humanities and Social Sciences). He has conducted research and traveled throughout the European continent with a brief stint in Kenya in mid-2007. When he is not writing short fiction, he writes and records his own music, collects documentaries and films with unique storylines, or enjoying the pleasure that a good beer or whiskey brings to the soul.

His work can be found at ISN Security Watch, The Non-State Unlimited blog, and has appeared on NPR Topics, World Politics Review, ReliefWeb, PrivateForces.com, and IntelliBriefs.

He very much welcomes your correspondence. Contact him at: jodybennett [AT] gmail [DOT] [COM].