Gates questions combat training by contractors

WASHINGTON (AP) - The military's use of private contractors for combat and security training is coming under scrutiny from the Pentagon chief.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is asking Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen how widespread the outsourcing is and how much it has cost over the past decade.

In a memo released to The Associated Press by Virginia Senator Jim Webb's office, Gates asks if the military fully understands the "implications in terms of quality, responsiveness and sustainability." Gates also asks if "appropriate red lines" have been established to determine what types of security training can be contracted out and what can't.