Working In Iraq - Attractive Despite The Risk?

By Oswald Eppers

Under the LOGCAP program, the contractor is responsible for providing a “full spectrum” of services to U.S. troops in the field, including dining facilities, living quarters, base camp operations and maintenance, facilities management, transportation and distribution of supplies, water and ice, laundry and bath, airfield operations, detainee camp construction, and firefighting [1]. “LOGCAP” is an acronym for “Logistics Civil Augmentation Program.”

Now, the LOGCAP program enters in phase IV and The Army awarded a contract worth up to $150 billion to feed, house and provide other services to U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait, spreading among three companies work that recently had been linked to a single, controversial contractor: Halliburton.

According to an article published in the Washington Post [2], Fluor Intercontinental of Greenville, S.C., DynCorp International of Fort Worth and KBR of Houston were chosen from among a half-dozen competitors. Each company's part of the contract is worth up to $5 billion a year and can be extended for up to nine more years. The contract award was a particular victory for KBR, Halliburton's former contracting arm, after the firm was accused of misdeeds under the past contract, one contracting expert said.

"This is potentially the biggest battlefield services contract that any company is going to win for the remainder of this decade," Loren Thompson, chief operating officer of the Lexington Institute, a defense research organization in Arlington.

Background of the LOGCAP Program

The U.S. Army continually seeks to increase its combat potential within programmed resource allocations. This occasionally requires pursuit of external sources to provide adequate logistics support for the force [1].

LOGCAP is a U.S. Army initiative for peacetime planning for the use of civilian contractors in wartime and other contingencies. These contractors will perform selected services to support U.S. forces in support of Department of Defense (DoD) missions. Use of contractors in a theater of operations allows the release of military units for other missions or to fill support shortfalls. This program provides the Army with additional means to adequately support the current and programmed forces.

According to the Army Material Command [1], LOGCAP is primarily designed for use in areas where no bilateral or multilateral agreements exist. However, LOGCAP may provide additional support in areas with formal Host Nation Support (HNS) agreements, where other contractors are involved, or where peacetime support contracts exist. LOGCAP is also available during Continental United States (CONUS) mobilizations to assist the CONUS support base and help units get ready for war.

LOGCAP is a Department of the Army Program which includes all pre-planned logistics and engineering/construction oriented contingency contracts actually awarded and peacetime contracts which include contingency clauses that:

• Leverage civilian corporate resources as logistics services support and engineering/construction support multipliers (Civilian Resources)

• Provide a rapid and responsive contract capability which augments US Forces capability by meeting logistics and engineering/construction requirements (Rapid and Responsive Contract Capability).

• Focus on prioritized peacetime contingency planning for augmentation logistics and engineering/construction services as determined by the customer (Prioritized Peacetime Contingency Planning).

Working in Iraq

There is still a lot of interest to work in Iraq, despite the danger. Salaries are much higher than in the US and the opportunity to make a little fortune in one or two years of service is hard to resist. An experienced worker easily makes $80.000 to $100.000 a year and for experts in one of the required technical-administrative fields, amounts of $25.000 a month (!) are no exception. In most cases, housing and meals are free and if you work more than 330 days overseas, income is excluded from United States taxes [3].

Job seekers can apply online for Iraq employment. The 2ajobguide for instance is supporting the U.S. Armed Forces by providing staff for the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP) in Iraq [4]. The work primarily involves vehicle and other equipment maintenance, as well as some logistical work. If you want to check out your chances to get such a challenging job, take a proactive approach and send your resume and a brief cover letter to this hiring agency by e-mail. You can be sure that your documents will be reviewed very carefully in order to find the best fit according to your experience and background.

Job listings for countries like Iraq, Afghanistan or Kuwait can be found also by typing the country name in an “all-in-one” human resources bank like Indeed [5]. Current listings include Iraq defense contractor, intelligence, communications, and administrative openings.

Literature

[1] Introduction to the LOGCAP program, United States Army brochure, Army Material Command, 2007

[2] Washington Post, Army Splits Award Among 3 Firms. Washington Post Staff Writer, Thursday, June 28, 2007; Page A08

[3] IRS Guidelines, Publication 54, Tax Guide for U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad

[4] Staffing in Iraq - Top paid job opportunities

[5] All-in-one US Job Search Engine


About the Author:

Oswald J. Eppers, PhD is manager of the consulting firm
E&R InterConsult and founder of the Two-Approach Guidefor easy and effective Job Searching and Career Assessment. He has more than 10 years experience as freelance consultant in the field of outsourcing, environmental and quality management.

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New Job Opportunities in Iraq Are Beckoning You

By Derek Drekland

Man oh man! What is this world coming to? Has it gotten so bad that you now have to consider going to Iraq to find a job? That my friend, is a question that you are going to have to answer for yourself but the fact is that Iraq is the next big gold rush for fantastic paying jobs of all types.

Safer Then South Side Chicago

Hey! Don't let the news hype fool you either, because the fact is that urban areas in the state that you now live in are in fact more dangerous to visit that the cities of Iraq. Also, most of the violence in Iraq has subsided so it is much safe place to live and work in now.

Good News and Bad News

The bad news for Iraq is the whole country is in real bad shape. Everything is completely worn out due to neglect, sabotage or warfare. The good news for job seekers is that Iraq has the money to rebuild, to the tune of billions of dollars in oil revenue money stashed away.

Get Your Stuff in Order

Your first step would be to get a passport and start looking into what it takes to get a visa. Also, you will definitely want to research into any laws or rules that apply to non resident workers. Then you will need to get your resume in order.

Go there and Look...Thats Crazy!!!

You can begin your search online and you should have no trouble finding material to read and explore. However; if you have the time and the money you may want to consider heading on over there. What!? You say!! Go and personally look for a job in the country that you want to find work in? What a crazy concept!

Go Low Key and "Local"

There are some basic rules that apply when you visit any foreign country. Rule one, is that they don't care that you are American and either do the people at the American embassy, so leave your American flag at home. In fact, it doesn't hurt to try to go a bit "local" with regards to your appearance.


Written by Derek Drekland. Surf over to my site to find everything you want to know about contract jobs in Iraq as well as technician jobs overseas

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Getting a High Paying Job in Iraq Or Afghanistan Making $4000+ a Week

By Randy AuBuchon

Why get a job in a War Zone? Some people make 4k a week and some make even more. The first $87,600 is Tax free if you out of the country for 330 days out of 365. You make high pay, because you work 72 hours or more a week and there is the Hazard and Hardship pay on top of your regular pay. The danger varies between jobs, if you work outside the wire and with convoys it can be very dangerous. If your job requires you to travel in convoys it can be hazardous too. I have no knowledge of working as a security contractor and this article will not be addressing that type of work. Many jobs are inside the wire (on base) with not much travel and are relatively safe. Traveling can be hazardous Military Fixed wing is the safest, helicopter travel is less safe and convoys being the most dangerous.

Sometimes even inside the wire there is mortar or rocket attacks and a siren usually sounds and alerts everyone. There are hardened concrete bunkers you can take shelter in. There has been casualties from mortars and rockets inside bases in Iraq. I have had some mortar fire come close enough to shake my trailer, but for the most part I don't worry about it. There is also defenses against rocket fire and it called CRAM (Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar) that shoots down rockets and mortars. It's been pretty quite on my tour so for. These are the questions to ask if you are considering a job in Iraq or Afghanistan or where ever the next war will be. For many contractors it is not there first rodeo or their first year here. There are many ex-military working as contractors, but there are many with no military background. Like me for instance, I do not have a military background, but some jobs do require military experience. I work in IT and generally IT does not require a military background. Usually there is leave after 4 months on the job so I would ask about that too.

OK now we know the dangers, so how do we get a job in the first place? One place to start is Web Sites like Clearancejobs. Clearancejobs requires a security clearance, but the job may be able to get you one. Do Google searches on contractors in Iraq or Afghanistan. KBR is the largest contractor in Iraq. Then go to the contractor's website and see if they have openings. Once you land a job your company will need to get you a reservation to get training at CRC (Conus Replacement Center) in Fort Benning Army Post Georgia. Some Contractor Companies have liaisons' at CRC that help step you through the process. CRC is not that difficult to maneuver through on ones own, if you can make it to formation on time you will be guided through. They have a web site infantry.army.mil/crc/ that tells you more information than you care to know. The training takes a week, but there is allot of hurry up and wait, which the Army is famous for. You should have you military orders before you get there; many times they get emailed to you at the last minute. They have barracks on site or some companies pay to have their people stay in a hotel in Columbus Georgia a short drive away. If you stay in the barracks keep track of your valuables you can be ripped off while taking a shower. Lock up you stuff or it will be gone. There is a chow hall at CRC where you can eat for free.

You are outside allot so be ready to brave the elements. It will be hot in summer without much air conditioning at formations or at most of the training for that matter. There is a physical that must be pasted, so if you health problems you could be denied going. It's best to have a physical before you go to CRC and have those test results with you. If you wear glasses you need two pair. You need to have your dental checked out by a dentist before you come; there is a form the dentist signs off on saying you will not have any dental problems while deployed. They will do health checks at CRC, but you have to pay for it. If you are over 40 there are extra heath checks they do (EKG, Cholesterol). You will be issued protective gear like a body armor a Kevlar helmet and a gas mask. You have to wear the protective gear while you travel and that's the only time I wear it. You have to sign for the gear if you don't bring it back they can charge you or your company around 5 to 6 thousand dollars. Then on the last day you are cleared to go and some contractors fly the Military Rotator Aircraft to Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait. Some contractors fly commercial airlines into Kuwait City and then make their way to Ali Al Salem and then for all its Military Air to their destination. It's a really long flight 17 hours or so be ready for it. Once you are in country there should be some one to scoop you up and take you to the your new work place.

Once you are in county most will be working 72 hours a week or so. Which is really a blessing since there is not that much else to do. After a couple days your given a trailer which is divided up into three rooms and most share that room with a roommate. The Dining facility or DFAC will be nearby for you to eat and there is usually a food court where you can buy Subway, Pizza hut and Burger king. There is usually a coffee house called Green Beans that has gourmet coffee too. There are PXs which is the Post Exchange were you can buy the basics that you need and some munchies. Different based have different offerings. If you a working at a FOB (Forward Operating Base) things will be more rustic and there may not be a food court or PX.

The Heat in Middle East can take some getting used to. The summers are brutally hot and it takes a couple weeks to acclimate. If you arrive in the summer drink lots of water as you body get used to the heat. Someone at CRC described the heat in Iraq like this: He said get your oven heated up to 500 degrees and then place a fan on the open door and then put your face down there. It is kind of like that, the heat feels very hot on your face. I guess that's why everyone over here wears scarves over their face. The average temperatures in Iraq are higher than 120o F in July and August and below freezing in January. A majority of the rainfall occurs from December through April and is more abundant in the mountainous region and may reach 40 inches a year in some places. The Iraqi climate is similar to that of the extreme southwestern United States with hot, dry summers, cold winters, and a pleasant spring and fall. Roughly 90% of the annual rainfall occurs between November and April, most of it in the winter months from December through March. The remaining six months, particularly the hottest ones of June, July, and August are dry. The influence of the Persian Gulf on the climate of Iraq is very limited. Near the gulf the relative humidity is higher than in other parts of the country.

In about three months you should used to everything and just be putting in your time and looking forward to your R&R and then that great day arrives when you get to go home.


I am currently working in Baghdad / Camp Victory Iraq. I have a Blog web page and a Squidoo web page which I update frequently. My Blog post are sometimes Funny and some post talk about events happening in Iraq today. The new security agreement has some big changes coming.

Come to my Blog and download a file with Iraq and Afghanistan Job Web Sites to help you in your search.

http://www.randybaghdad.blogspot.com

http://www.squidoo.com/Baghdad-Iraq

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Lucrative Jobs in Iraq - Are You Ready?

If you're looking for employment opportunities and considering the Middle East, then rest assured there are plenty of jobs in Iraq. Regardless of your skill set, jobs in numerous industries from semi-skilled to experts of the trade are readily available. Some of the many fields' currently recruiting employees are:

Food service worker - Throughout the country, numerous dining facilities exist on military installations. Help of all types are needed from food preparation to facility management. These facilities are open almost around the clock. Military personnel and civilians alike eat most (if not all) of their meals at these facilities. Many of them are very large and set up in a cafeteria type setting. As you can imagine, it takes a lot of personnel to manage these facilities.

IT Professionals - Information Technology professionals are always needed to maintain and engineer computer networks and systems. This is a field that is in very high demand and can be quite lucrative. These professionals manage the various computer infrastructures throughout the country. It's a plus if you have a US Security Clearance but not always necessary depending on the type of systems that you are supporting.

Mechanics - As you can imagine, there are literally thousands of military and leased vehicles throughout Iraq and they all need to be maintained. The military installations are huge and personnel need to be transported from point to point. These mechanics need to be skilled to maintain all sorts of vehicles from standard cars and trucks to armored personnel carriers.

Construction - You've probably heard in the news of the many construction projects in Iraq. If you have the skills, construction jobs in Iraq are available. Many companies from various nations have been awarded lucrative contracts to support the reconstruction efforts.

Truck drivers - Always in high demand, truck drivers are needed to haul supplies to support the thousands of personnel at numerous installations. The truckers often carry cargo within the safer areas of the country which are patrolled by the military, but are also needed in the more dangerous regions.

Translators - Of course linguists' are always needed. If you are fluent in Arabic and willing to utilize you're highly sought after skills, you can often demand a lot of money. Often these translators go out in the field with the military troops, but at other times they work within the confines of the bases.

Security - Civilian security specialists are utilized throughout the Mideast to assist the military at numerous military installations as well as provide personal protection to high level individuals and dignitaries.

Do you want to learn the secrets of finding a job in the Middle East? I have just completed my brand new guide on how to find those lucrative jobs. Download it free here: Secrets to Finding a Job in the Mideast 
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Iraq Truck Driving Jobs Are Risky But The Pay Is Great!

Nowadays, there is a lot of debate upon the Iraq truck driving jobs. It is a subject of high interest and of much speculation - yet somehow, there are still many US citizens that are looking forward to find jobs like this in Iraq. Without doubt, we are all aware of the risks they involve and the fact that the media covers this subject and then some gives us a large and complex perspective on the matter. But the question is: just how many dangers and risks come along with these Iraq truck driving jobs?

The most significant risk that every truck driver in Iraq is exposed to is represented by the terrorist attacks. And for sure, these should be taken very seriously and one must definitely be aware of these major dangers before applying for the Iraq truck driving jobs. Even worse, the fact is that these attacks can be under various forms, ranging from unexpected bombs on the road to shootings and so on. We have heard many stories about kidnapping and deaths of truck drivers that had Iraq truck driving jobs.

Many of such stories have been brought in the attention of the public as real hero-stories that show just how much individuals are willing to sacrifice in order to get honest work. Even though some might think that the terrorist attacks are the only major negative aspects of the Iraq truck driving jobs, the fact is that there are many more that have nothing to do with violence. Many truck drivers that have returned to the US claim that the conditions can be extremely rough in company truck driving jobs. Just how rough, exactly?

The main disturbing factor is the fact that the drivers are working in unpleasant weather conditions, driving through the dry and hot dessert that sometime hides dangerous scorpions ready to attack. Considering all the above facts, we can only ask ourselves: what exactly determines people to apply for Iraq truck driving jobs? The reasons are numerous and the financial grounds can not be ignored. There are numerous tax facilities in Iraq, in addition to the very high salaries, that can reach even $100,000 per year. Some of the applicants for Iraq truck driving jobs look further than the money aspect and simply want to be close to this territory that stirs so much controversy and that can also be considered quite an adventurous - even though highly risky - place to be in or to work in.

There are other types of work offered to foreigner, besides the Iraq truck driving jobs. However, the truck drivers are the ones that are mostly exposed to a wide range of dangerous and that seem to be victims and targets in many situations. In the past years, the number of truck drivers that have suffered from terrorist attacks has been quite worrying.

The Iraq truck driving jobs remain a subject of much speculation and analysis. Even though to some it might seem surprising, many people are willing to try their luck and their courage by taking such demanding and risk-exposed Iraq truck driving jobs. We can only hope that the next year will not bring out as many victims as 2006 and 2007 have.

Iraq truck driving jobs offer great pay conditions that attract truckers from all over the world. Sam Butler's website Intruckdrivingjobs.com offers latest information about terms in conditions that potential candidates for Iraqi truck driving jobs have to satisfy. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sam_Butler