æz pɹˌɛpɚɹˈeɪʃənz fɚðɪ ɪnvˈeɪʒən ʌv ɪɹˈæk wɜː bˌiːɪŋ mˌeɪd ɪn ˈɜːli tˈuː θˈaʊzənd θɹˈiː, ænd kəntˈɪnjuːɪŋ θɹuː tˈuː θˈaʊzənd sˈɪks, ˌiːˌɛsˈɛs wʌz kəntɹˈæktᵻd baɪ ðə jˈuː.ˈɛs. mɚɹˈiːn kˈɔːɹ, ðɪ ˈeɪɾi sˈɛkənd ˈɛɹboːɹn dᵻvˈɪʒən, ðə bɹˈɪɾɪʃ mˈɪnɪstɹi ʌv dᵻfˈɛns, ðə kˌoʊəlˈɪʃən pɹəvˈɪʒənəl ɐθˈɔːɹɪɾi, ænd mˈeɪdʒɚ dᵻfˈɛns kəntɹˈæktɚz flˈʊɹ, ˌɑːɹɹˌɛmˈɛs, bˈɛtʃtəl, ænd mˈoʊst nˈoʊɾəbli kˌeɪbˌiːˈɑːɹ, ɐ sʌbsˈɪdjɚɹi ʌv hˈælɪbˌɜːtən ˌʌndɚ ðə jˈuː.ˈɛs. ˈɑːɹmi tɹˈuːp səpˈoːɹt kˈɑːntɹækt kˈɔːld lˈɔɡkæp ɹˌoʊmən θɹˈiː tə pɹəvˈaɪd dˈaɪnɪŋ ænd kənstɹˈʌkʃən sˈɜːvɪsᵻz æt dˈɛzɚt bˈeɪsᵻz ænd ɛŋkˈæmpmənts ɪn kuːwˈeɪt ænd ɪɹˈæk.
As preparations for the invasion of Iraq were being made in early 2003, and continuing through 2006, ESS was contracted by the U.S. Marine Corps, the 82nd Airborne Division, the British Ministry of Defence, the Coalition Provisional Authority, and major defense contractors Fluor, RMS, Bechtel, and most notably KBR, a subsidiary of Halliburton under the U.S. Army troop support contract called LOGCAP III to provide dining and construction services at desert bases and encampments in Kuwait and Iraq.