Nick,
Perhaps you could also cite the various laws that govern the use of non-military persons in combat and show how the various Geneva Conventions, US Federal Law, and DOD regulations pertain to contractors and their employees. A dictionary definition is fine but does not have weight of law. You will find the recent decision to require the contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan to comply with the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) was intended to both facilitate their use and also to provide a means whereby violations of the UCMJ and Iraqi Law can be prosecuted.
As an old Cobra Jock....I am sure you understand the concept of a target rich environment and the reaction that provokes in a gunship pilot. I would suggest those guys with the .308 or .338 magnum rifles are no different.
As someone once said...."if you find yourself in a fair fight....you planned it all wrong!" (or words to that effect. )