Thursday, November 3, 2011

Civilians Killed in Kabul Suicide Bomb Attack

I have waited to post about mass casualty events to allow the situation to resolve and also out of respect for those that gave their lives, civilian or military.

So, here is the story as reported on many news agencies.  What does this mean to all of us civilian contractors?  I'm going to try and breakdown as much as I can without sacrificing OPSEC. I, and many of my expat brethern have ridden this exact route many times.  I can tell you, it is nerve-racking and quite the experience.  All that said here is what I know:

Civilian contractors dominate these routes that run in/out of the major US and NATO bases in Kabul.  The contractors are predominately Americans.  The Rhino is in fact a nice target, and this is not the first time they have been targeted both in Afghanistan and in Iraq.

Kudos to the USG for commissioning such a vehicle.  Having ridden in one more hours than I care to admit it to my spouse, it makes you feel very safe.   The bomber in Kabul had over 1500lbs of explosives.  The route they were on is a known deadly route and I know from experience the military did all they could to secure it.  Kabul traffic is your worst nightmare and the military is under very strict guidelines on the rules of the road in yielding to civilian traffic and not causing 'incidents'.... Our soldiers are handcuffed in their efforts to protect those that serve them.

A typical convoy has a specific class of protection that is formidable.  I will not go into specifics about those details, but to tell you that there is significant intelligence, firepower and communications capability in all of these convoys with a very high level of oversight.  These are a no joke mission with specific objectives.  I do not believe in any way that the soldiers protecting this sort of convoy became complacent.  I can tell you that their rules of engagement could have likely hindered their effort to protect.

Please do not think that I would ever minimize sacrifices that anyone makes (civilian or military). I do believe it is time for America to wake up to the reality that for us to continuously be able to project our presence worldwide it requires a force of people that are not 'uniformed'.... They are however: just as committed to the cause of American efforts, just as committed to doing the right thing, just as committed to all of the ideals of American freedom and in fact the largest majority of them are former servicemen/women.  The increase in pay for these folks will not keep them in these situations, trust me I have seen it time and again, search my blog for examples.

So, in respect and salute of our civilian and military brethren that gave the ultimate sacrifice on October 29, 2011, we will never forget you, we honor your sacrifice and pray for those you have left behind.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Qadaffi Dead - Mean anything to us?

Well, it's an interesting thought.  Does Qadaffi being killed mean anything to us.. the expaters?

Well, I'll say this much about it without delving too far into the political realm.  I can say with 100% confidence and experience that had a unit of US soldiers captured Qadaffi alive... he would not have been killed.  That means something.

What does it mean?  Our men are moral, value human life and respect the rule of law.

The rest of the world does not.  They (the world) do not respect the rule of law, respect human life or value life.

However, I respect the fact that this country, like Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries is/was under extreme repression from this regime, therefore their morals and respect for the rule of law was skewed.

Hmm.. So does that mean that the rest of the world is innately immoral or incapable of appreciating these values?  Absolutely not.

Lincoln said '
They are just what we would be in their situation.'.  




This has been proved time again in psychological testing and experiments since WWII.  People will do extreme things to survive, it's conditioning in the extreme and much like Maslov's Bell they can be conditioned to do ... things.

In the end of this episode, I say that Qadaffi 'reaped what he had sown'.  It's a good thing for the world for him to be gone,  it does not portend good things to come in that there are a significant generation of people in these places that do not value human life, do not have a solid moral foundation (regardless of religion) and have had very poor examples of moral leadership.



Friday, September 16, 2011

Taliban Attack Embassy Compound

I waited to write this until after the event was over.  This should be another reminder for all of us expaters, that it ain't safe over there!  If you look at the news reports  and the photos that are published, this attack was very close to home for many of us that have worked with the embassy and other agencies related to work with the Department of State.

I was speaking with a colleague who was there during the attack, and you could here the explosions thru the phone.  The attack was very real and they were definitely out to kill Americans.  They don't care whether the American has a uniform or not.

I would like to remind all of us to be vigilant over there.  Also, as I have mentioned in previous posts, please ensure you have a family preparedness plan in place PRIOR to deploying.  Make sure you have an updated will and a solid life insurance that does NOT have warzone exclusions in it.  Many of these are available from organizations like Navy Mutual Aid and other military support organizations.  DBA does pay some portion of life benefit, but it certainly wouldn't be enough to support your family for long should something happen to you.

Make sure you evaluate the risks for yourself.  The highest demobilization times occur after attacks.  Sometimes it's folks that have been there for years and the attack is just the icing on the cake, realizing their number could be up/ luck running out.  The other group of folks are those that took the job for the money, and now realize money isn't everything!!  It certainly is not, and if money is your primary motivator for being there, you will likely not make it past an event like this.

So, thankfully, there were no reports of US/expat casualties in this event.  From reports I received it was well responded to and contained.  Be safe, be vigilant and enjoy reading my other posts about preparations for deployment and other expat rants.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

US Engineer/Contractor Killed in Kabul

This should be a reminder to all of us expat/engineers/contractors that work in Afghanistan and other places.  See the story here .  Folks, this is a warzone.  It is dangerous.  Yes I know the mountains outside Kabul and Bagram are beautiful.  I know that back where you come from you like to hike and meet the local folks.  You just cannot do that in Afghanistan.  I do not, have not and will not trust the local population in that country.  It's just the way it is. 

As much as they are kind, helpful and show all kinds of courtesy and gratitude for things that you may do for or with them, the bottom line is when push comes to shove they will sell you out.  It's cold, hard reality folks.  If someone kidnapped your family, your young daughter/wife/sister and told them that if you did not bring that American to them they would kill or torture/rape your wife/daughter/sister then you would do it.  That is the situation on the ground there.  Sorry to break the news, but the culture there is just not for us Americans.  Go there, earn money, come home.  Stay safe, follow the rules, do not tread off the beaten path. 

Another story that broke today in the same link above, that 2 Germans were killed while hiking North of Kabul.  Hiking?  Are you kidding me. Seriously guys, this is a warzone!  You can get kidnapped, tortured and killed.  I don't know why anyone would take it any other way.  I am sorry for their families loss of course.

Guys, please treat this seriously.  Go there, make money and come home. 

Monday, August 29, 2011

Contingency Contracting Posts $30billion Waste According to CWC

The Commission on Wartime Contracting (CWC) has issued their interim report on wartime contracting in IRaq and Afghanistan.  I would recommend reading it if contracting in warzones is either something that you do now, something that you have considered doing or are a taxpayer of this country.  No matter what your level in the workforce would be, it is a good read and will give you valuable insight.

A few myths that are dispelled in this text are:

  1.  KBR was awarded LOGCAP III with no bidding.  You hear this constantly from the media that the evil KBR won the LOGCAP contract without bidding.  Simply not true.  They won the IDIQ contract in fair open competition.  However, the way the IDIQ was written there was no mechanism to include other bidders in future IDIQ task orders.  The original contract was only meant to last 18 months, not going on 10 years!  No one thought we were going to be in Iraq and Afghanistan this long.

  2.  KBR is doing a bad job in Iraq.  Again, you hear this in the media.  It is simply not supported by the facts on the ground.  KBR has consistently out performed their competitors on other contracts, consistently getting top reviews and rankings from Award Fee Board (AFEB) members throughout the life of the contract.  Reading thru the report you will find numerous areas where KBR has delivered on the ground.  Supplying the troops with what they need, good meal facilities, adequate facilities for eating, sleeping and recreation and meeting surge needs whenever asked.  I invite you to become more educated on this by reading the report in full, not just the headlines.

The purpose of this post was not to pontificate about the greatness of KBR.  It's really to point out a few simple facts:

     1.  The contractor civilian workforce that volunteers to go and work in these places is just that, volunteer.
     2.  The contractor civilian workforce will stay.  The contractor (KBR, FLuor, Dynacorp, etc) constantly change due to politics, rebidding, contract expiration, etc.  In the end, the contractors will end up with the SAME workforce. 

If you've been around this business long enough you will find that every place that you go in the warzones you will find there to be familiar faces and names.  That's because the cadre of folks, especially in specialized fields (engineering, construction and logistics) tend to be recycled. 

From the report:  The corps of engineers is executing a project to construct 900 Afghan National Army (ANA/ANSF) security compounds for a total cost of $11billion.  The SIGAR report and the CWC report point to the fact that due to 'inadequate planning for construction' the entire $11billion is at risk!  The corps of engineers is the largest construction agency in the world, how could that be?  Could it really be as simple as people?  The people on the ground for the corps of engineers and other agencies generally follow the same rotation as military personnel, 1 year maximum tours. 

Could be that this is especially problematic in this environment as the rate of change is dramatics and shifting out key leadership positions with this amount of frequency has greatly enhanced the mismanagement problem.  By the time the leader gets his arms around things it's time for him to go.  The CWC recommends that the government needs to extend these tours, provide a dedicated contingency contracting managmenet force and centralize it's execution. I agree with this approach.

There is a table included in the report that shows the number of government agencies supporting contingency construction activities.  The table shows over 17 government agencies that support contingency operations in the warzone.  How could the government possibly expect to do this work effeciently when supporting only one year tours for the leadership in country for these positions?  Not realistic or possible in any environment especially in a complex / contingency environment that has political, social, interpersonal, tribal and hostile factors added to the equation.

What does happen and I've experienced this myself is the contractors themselves become the resident experts and end up being the driving force behind much of what goes on.  Think of it this way, when a new director of an agency in country arrives in the warzone with saucer sized eyes, the first person he meets likely is his civilian contractor.  The civilian contractor profile shows that he has been on the ground for 2 or more years and knows the in's and out's of how to get things done.  Should it be this way? Even though I was one of those contractors for 2 years, I would say no. The government agency leaders need to be the ones with the institutional knowledge, not the contractors.  This can only happen by being there.  Period.  Conference calls, white papers, video conferences, etc, etc all help, but in the end the government needs to commit to putting these leaders on the ground for a minimum of 2 years.  It sucks for them, but they are well compensated for it and would earn better retirements and rank in the long run.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

The Difference Makers

I've worked in the engineering, operations and construction industry for almost 20 years now.  Most of my career has been spent in the consulting business working for large municipal and federal agencies advising on highly technical and sensitive issues. 

Here is one key piece of information that I have learned in my travels overseas.  You can take the smartest, brightest engineer (substitute any profession here) into a complex technical situation and he will likely fail.  You can take a reasonably educated, non-technical engineer and dump him into the same complex scenario and guess what?  He will not fail.  Hmm, how can that be?  Shouldn't the smartest guys always succeed?  I mean doesn't it make sense to send the guy that has the most subject matter expertise to solve a problem?  Hmm, again, history and experience show that is not the case. 

Well then, what is the difference between the smart/technical guy who knows his subject backwards and forwards and the reasonably educated.. difference maker?  Often times, the smart, technical guy may not have the correct communication skillset, or he may talk to much and listen too little.  Yes, I think it comes down to listening skills.. by that I really mean the ability sit quietly, analyze a situation, sort out the facts from heresy, misinformation, urban legend and determine what the true hard facts are.

When the difference makers gets to that point, when he knows he has the facts sorted out guess what he does?  He gets out his cell phone or email machine and finds the smart technical guy and frames the information, puts it into context FOR him and lets the smart technical guy then solve the problem.  Yep, that's it. 

Often times I've seen the smart/technical guys get out there and make too many far reaching assumptions.. the older they are, the worse it is.  You'll have a 30 year technical guy show up to solve a problem for you and often times you'll have to drag him out to 'see' the problem because from afar he had decided that he had it solved because of his immense intellect... well 9/10 he was wrong and when he gets to the problem area and is shown the facts in the appropriate context, miracles happen.

So, remember this, find the difference makers, let them make a difference and as a manager your job will be easy... put the smart/technical guys without the ability to listen and observe and watch mayhem and chaos ensue.





Monday, August 15, 2011

The Latest (Updated)

I'm still asked on a regular basis asking me 'how do I get a job in Iraq or Afghanistan?'. Scrolling down you'll see a lot of information that I compiled based on my experience with the big contracting companies (KBR, Fluor and Dynacorp) over the past 3 years or so. The big contract that has the most positions open is Logcap IV. Logcap IV was split up amongst the three big guys with Fluor and Dynacorp receiving the largest pieces.

Fluor operates in Northern Afghanistan, Dynacorp in the south.  KBR has the transportation and postal missions in Iraq under Logcap IV.  They also have some work in Bahrain, but it doesn't pay very well.

Logcap III is still operating in both Iraq, yes still operating in 2011 even though troops are supposed to leave, the mission is ongoing. However, word on the street is the program will be closing up shop in the near future.  I wouldn't apply to Logcap III as you may get there and be sent home.  It's happened before in that program so don't think it cannot happen to you, they could fly you to Houston, do all your shots and get you all geared up to go.  You could land in Dubai and then be turned around.

Afghanistan / Logcap IV is probably your best bet right now.  I wouldn't anticipate that changing for the next year or so.  There is a lot of construction going on there and the war is still pretty hot and heavy, so you'll see job postings on all the major contractor's websites (Fluor, Dynacorp, IAP Worldwide, etc.).  I would recommend reapplying fairly frequently and if possible get your resumed tailored to the specific jobs you applying for, this will increase the chances you get picked up.


Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Patience -Updated

One of the most often asked questions I get is "When will the recruiter call me?". This is usually after a friend or family member has submitted their resume to KBR, Fluor, etc. My answer always is "patience". From the outside it would appear there is no rhyme or reason to the timing of these big companies. You could wait for weeks or months and then get 2 days notice to fly for processing. It really comes down to the demands of the customer, the US Military. When they need, they need it now, otherwise "don't call us, we'll call you.". It's really as simple as that. 

Update: For those wanting to go to Iraq and possibly risk a shorter duration, there is a large demand there right now.  With the mission winding down people are leaving in droves, so if you're willing to deal with the uncertainty it is a good time to be there.  It could be that troops end up staying in Iraq for a much longer term, and if that's the case you'd be in a good position.  Of course you could get caught up in a PAR and end up going home.  There is a risk/reward equation there for you to consider.  The reward could be a mult-year contract with good advancement potential as senior level folks either make enough money and go home or leave for other opportunities due to the uncertainty.  Something to consider for sure.

If you haven't done this before, here are a few tips for you:

1. Make sure you have everything at hand for your background investigation. This will greatly speed up the process. You can go here to http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf85p.pdf download the form you will be either filling out online or hard copy depending on the contractor you go with. Seriously, this will save a ton of time. You will need to be sure all of your dates match, any overlaps or gaps are addressed in both employment, residence and that you have references for each item with current location, address and phone number.  This is a major deal, if you have any concerns about this, read further.

2. US Expaters:  If you are currently undergoing any type of legal issue whether it be DUI, arrest, any type of court proceeding both criminal or civil be prepared to address this in full detail. If you cannot or do not anticipate this issue getting resolved prior to filling out the SF85/86 save yourself some heartache and wait. Otherwise you could be setting yourself up for failure as you will not likely get cleared. Be honest with yourself and the issues. Generally, if you've had a felony in the last seven years, DUI's that are unresolved have been committed for any reason, assault, drugs, etc you probably will not get cleared. The downside is you could wait for 6 months to wait to hear you aren't getting cleared. Then you will be left with having to wait atleast a year to reapply. So think thru this. I can't stress this enough, do not kid yourself. If you're a foreign national as long as you can pass a basic police check you are fine.

3. If you have previously underwent a security screening and your clearance is either expired or inactive. Make sure that you get copies of what you previously submitted and make sure any new information you provide matches exactly. If there are discrepancies between the two for whatever reason be sure to explain those differences so as not to arouse any undue questioning. The clearer you can make it the clearer it will be.

4. For your medical. Some of the largest disqualifiers are blood pressure (140/90 is border line), weight (BMI less than 40) and of course serious medical issues. Make sure you're prepared for this. If you frequently get 'white coat' syndrome when doing your blood pressure be sure to be ready going in and explain to the nurse that you have this issue. They are very understanding and will work with you . If you know you have this issue, I would go to the doctor and get your issue evaluated in advance of starting the process. This will save you heartache and possible disappointment later. Trust me, if you fail the medical, you won't be going anywhere.  I've seen guys get sent home for the silliest of things, so please be prepared, lose weight and get in decent shape if you have time.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Happy Memorial Day


I was honored to be present for the reading of the 1475 names of the heroes that have given their lives for the freedom of the Afghan people from oppression at Camp Eggers Afghanistan.  These men and women served our country and provided safety and security to the Afghan people.

My hat is off today to all families, friends and fellow soldiers that have lost loved ones and friends in service to the greatest cause, individual freedom.  My prayers are with you, thank you for your sacrifice, you WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN OR LEFT BEHIND.  My family will honor and remember you.

The cause to serve abroad and provide basic security and safety to others that could not otherwise do so for themselves is the most noble cause.   In my opinion, it is our basic responsibility to other nations that do not have this.  We owe this to humanity.  We sit as Americans in our comfortable surroundings and complain about the BS politics and how our money is being given away.  How about you live in a nation where your basic needs cannot be met.

For example.. you could live in a place that in order to provide heat for your family in winter (lows well below 0 degrees F) requires you to walk 6 miles to barter for wood for heat for your house.  In that 6 miles you walked, you had to pay the equivalent of a weeks worth of pay to guarantee your safety in the form of bribes/protection money.  This is the basic requirement for the average Afghan living in Kabul, let alone the outlying areas.

So before you get on Facebook or other places and prosteletize about how our government should be helping those at home before we help those in other parts of the world.  Put yourself in these shoes, understand that this .

We still, and will remain the richest nation  on earth.  Come join me and live in Afghanistan, Iraq, Dubai, Oman, Qatar, etc, etc and see what is like before you comment on how our poor are hungry or suffering.

Without basic security... "men with guns".. this cannot happen without our sons, brothers, husbands willing to put on the uniform and step forward for this basic right.  I love our country, I love what our young men and women do every day out here in Iraq and Afghanistan and am honored to provide service to them.

Happy Memorial Day.  Enjoy, remember and all be blessed.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Bin Laden Confirmed Dead - Does it Matter?

With the US confirming they have killed UBL in a US strike does it matter?  Morally I think it is a victory. Strategically it will have short term impact, but long term someone will take his place.  Maybe Mullah Omar or one of the other top Al Qaeda / Taliban types who knows.  Or likely, they split into many factions which will hopefully make them less effective.

Why does this impact the Expat working in a warzone?  For some of us, mostly Americans but I would gather that other nationalities feel the same, our motivations for coming here were far beyond the need to make money.  There was a national pride and a thought of a way to make an impact into the overall goal of winning the 'war on terror'.  Simply put, a good percentage of guys I've worked with over here just are not here for the money.  If you come over here for just the money, and that alone, you will not last.  I've seen it time again.  There has to be some other inner drive either for adventure, sense of chipping in to the effort or for some a resume builder.

Osama, Usama Bin Laden being finally put to rest closes a significant chapter for some of us, probably most of us that watched with horror on 11SEP01 as those planes crashed into the buildings and the buildings fell.  It probably was a national past time to wonder when/if he would be captured or killed.  One thing I know working with and serving in the military, is the dedication and fortitude of the guys that literally went to the ends of the earth to find this one man is unmatched.  My hat is off to them today, they are the true heroes.

So, in the end the war goes on.  The machine still rolls forward, but with one small victory in hand.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Contractor Deaths Exceed Military

For the first time contractor deaths have exceeded military deaths in Iraq/Afghanistan: Review Article Here from ProPublica.com. 

Sobering news for those considering a job in the warzones.  It's a poignant reminder of the danger that you could face working alongside the military.  The danger is all too real. 

I was in Afghanistan at a major base south of Kabul sometime last year when we were attacked full force by Taliban/insurgents.  There were RPG's, suicide bombers, small arms fire, etc that went on for several hours.  This was a major base with significant armament, air support and significant numbers (more than 5k) of troops.  There were helicopter gunships overhead, rockets being fired, heavy machine gun fire going on for hours.  I'm saying this because the civilians on the base continued to operate as if nothing was going on.  I was quite amazed myself as there were hundreds of civilians milling around attempting to get to their 'regular jobs' with little regard for the danger going on around them.  Quite literally they were less than 50 feet from where RPG's were exploding and they were acting as if nothing was occurring. 

I think a lot of that had to do with them being in the warzone for so long and being exposed to this to such an extent as to be immune to the commotion, but I would say this.. myself and several former marines were hunkered down in a bunker with body armour on.  No sense dying for being stupid.

The danger is all too real there.  Prepare yourself for this.  Understand it, face it and then when you are there if something does go down, don't be macho.. if you hear a loud bang and aren't sure what it is.. when in doubt hit the deck.  Better to be laughed at for overreacting than to be dead.  By these statistics it does happen.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

And here we go again...

Well, it's been about 6 months since I've put the boots and backpack on, but now I'm preparing for a trip of my own into the wilds of Afghanistan.  This time I will be going as a civilian non-DOD contractor which will be interesting.  My previous exploits in both Afghanistan and Iraq were as DOD-contractor.

Fortunately this visit will be relatively short, about 40 days or so with travel in / around the Kabul area.  It will be interesting to experience different parts of Kabul that I haven't travelled before.  As I prepare to travel I do the same things I've done in the past which is getting my shots updated, getting my power of attorney and will squared away and securing all of my travel arrangements from point to point.  We'll be flying straight civilian in on Safi which puts us on the civilian side of Kabul International.  Fortunately we have a good / efficient security team in country to help gather us up and get us to where we need to go.

Advice I could offer to those that are also getting ready to travel, is to review my blog here and some of the other sites available that have credible information on them from those experienced in warzone contracting.  There are a few sites to avoid as they simply are full of opinion and garbage from folks that have spent very limited time doing contracting outside of Logcap and have agenda's to harm some of the larger contractors (KBR, Fluor, etc).  You'll know them when you see them by the slant of their postings and rantings of their commentators.


Monday, February 21, 2011

Is it safe in the warzone?

I have been asked several times over the past several weeks about the level of safety in the warzone for contractors.  For some reason there is a perception that the level of safety for expat or 'western' folks is more or less than others that work in the warzone as contractor's for the US or NATO.

I'll start by describing the process by which every contractor processes into Afghanistan or Iraq after they arrive in Dubai.  All contractors, whatever nationality generally arrive via military chartered air (some come via civilian air) from Dubai into either Bagram (some move on to Kandahar) or Baghdad airports.  There are slight variations to this depending on the contractor and the contract that you are working on, but generally if you are working on the larger contracts with the major players (KBR/Fluor/Dynacorp) this is the way you will come into country.

For those going to Afghanistan you will arrive in Bagram assuming that is your final destination in country.  For some it will be Kandahar.  I'll discuss Bagram for purposes of this article.  You will deplane, process in the military terminal details of which I'll leave out of this article.  From there you will go, along with your respective contractor representative and receive your protective gear.  This gear will vary depending on which contract and contractor you are working for.  Some contractors are large enough that they purchase their own gear.  Others utilize military supplies which you receive in other location.

The bottom line is, all personnel receive 'battle rattle'.  There is no difference in safety, from my experience, for a westerner or other country national.  It really is not any safer for you there than anyone else.  It's probably more dangerous for you due to your looking different than the local population and likely sticking out like a sore thumb!  We all get the same gear too by the way.

I've honestly been asked this question several times, and I don't know why folks would think it is safer for Americans than others.  Maybe they have the impression that since they are Americans they will somehow be protected better by the Army?  I don't know the answer to whey they think that way, but to be honest there is no elevation of your protective status due to your nationality, American or not.  When stuff goes down, chaos ensues and generally it's 'Get to the bunkers now!' regardless of what you look like.

So, when making your decision about pursuing a warzone job, please bear in mind that you are not any safer there just because you are an American or westerner.  You will be in a warzone, mortars do hit, rockets do stream over the sky!  Bullets and guns to go off and yes they do land somewhere!  Are you dodging and running for life all the time?  Some days it feels like it, but 95% of the time or more it is workaday stuff, doing your job, going to the DFAC, gym, PX and hitting the rack.




Thursday, January 13, 2011

A few tips for those on their way.

A few handy tips before venturing into this wonderful world of logcap and contingency contracting:

1. Get or renew your passport, you'll need this before you even get this process started. It's a hundred or so bucks if you plan ahead, but you aren't going anywhere without it.
2. Keep or otherwise transfer your clearance (worth bucks). If you're in the reserves now would be a good time to get that squared away.
3. Get a family plan, will and power of attorney executed.
4. Make sure you do not have high blood pressure or dental issues. If you do, get them squared away asap. This is critical and could ruin your chances if you have outstanding issues.
5. Buy a large size bug-out bag. Do not travel with a roller suitcase. One, you will be ridiculed as a newbie and 2, it's a pain in the ass when there is nowhere to roll it! Lots of rocks and dirt and the roller bags don't do well on that terrain.
6. Pack ONLY what you can carry. If you are a female don't count on people helping you, it just doesn't happen there. You can always have stuff mailed to you once you are settled. You will have to lug your gear across runways, rough terrain, in/out of helicopters etc all before you get to your first base, so make sure you can carry everything you are bringing. TRAVEL LIGHT!
7. Make sure to bring a carrier unlocked, GSM cell phone with you. You can get these on ebay for about nothing. You can buy sim cards once in country. If you are going to Afghanistan you can buy a sim and minutes at callafhanistan.net . I am not affiliated with them. I have used them a lot and they are reliable and legit. If you are going to Iraq you can buy an Etisalat sim in Dubai, just make sure you get one that can roam in Iraq.
8. If you are travelling light enough bring a laptop with you. Along your way you will have wifi access periodically. The Dubai airport has free wifi, so that is helpful.
9. If you are with KBR / Fluor / Dynacorp on Logcap you will travel with their folks to / from the airport, just follow directions you'll be fine.  If you're with a smaller company and going to Afghanistan, make sure to get to DXB about 3 hours minimum before your flight, otherwise you'll get a crappy seat and be behind all of the Logcappers.  You'll still get a seat, but it will be middle.   If you're going to Iraq and not on LOGCAP then I can't help you, never done non-Logcap in Iraq.
10. A tip for when coming out on R&R from either country.  Make sure to print your boarding pass at the hotel.  Otherwise you will have to wait until late in the evening (7pm) to check in for the flight.  If you checkin online, you can get thru passport control and on your way to the Irish Village pub.  :)  Otherwise, you'll need to wait with the rest of the sea of humanity to get thru.  This will really help things and you'll not be in any lines.  It will cost you about $10 in cab fares, in lieu of taking the cattle train, but you'll get there before the heard.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Preparing to go into a warzone. What to expect.

A lot of folks ask me this question, how to get prepared to go to work in a warzone? Will I be dodging bullets? Hearing/feeling rockets and mortars? Will I have to worry about being killed? Quite simply the answer to these questions is actually yes.

Yes? Yep. At any point in your travels throughout Iraq and Afghanistan you are likely to encounter situations where your life could be at risk. There is no other way to sugar coat it or otherwise put a nice spin on it. Anyone that tells you otherwise has never been there. A large base in Baghdad was hit by 14 rockets yesterday. We do not have 'combat' troops in Iraq, how could that be?

So that is the first item to get out of the way. Yes, it's dangerous and yes you could be seriously injured or killed by hostile or friendly forces. If that's not a slap in the face or cold splash of water I don't know what is. You really need to understand that. I have personally seen guys turn right around after landing on the ground and ask to go back because they didn't realize that they would be in places that are hostile on their journey. That is a lot of effort wasted to get that far and bow out! You're talking months of preparation thrown away. For those that have done that, they were told all of this up front, it's dangerous, it's unsafe, you could be killed. They were told this before they even accepted their position. They were told this during training probably more than a dozen times what the conditions were to be like and there was absolutely no guarantee they would be safe. This was a case where the individual was just looking at the money and not truly evaluating the situation.

This is where you have to absolutely evaluate your motivations and truly understand what you are getting into. You cannot gloss over this or you could end up like the guy on the plane suddenly sobering up and realizing what you had gotten yourself into. These are good jobs but not without risk.

Another item to prepare yourself for is there is no drinking over there at all. The only exceptions are if you are stationed with DoS, then you may have some priviledges. Other than that, there is none. That doesn't mean it isn't available, but that will get you a one way ticket home in a hurry. I would recommend that once you reach your processing center to consider not partaking after that. It's just not worth the risk of losing your job, which you will if caught while in the warzone.

Another item to note that is important to remember is that as a military contractor you are also under General Order Number 1A (GO1A). This applies to all military and civilians in the warzone. Just google it and you'll get the jist, but basically it's common sense, no drinking, drugs, porn, etc. If you're caught with any of them you will be prosecuted under the UCMJ and further you could actually be turned over to Iraqi authorities in Iraq under the Status of Forces Agreement (SoFA) signed by president Bush in early 2009. That could be sticky and not a fun visit, so keep all of this in mind and definitely read GO1A. It's not worth losing your freedom and your job, so plan on keeping your nose clean, squeaky clean.

In addition to those rules, in Iraq you will also need to remember that bringing items out of Iraq there are severe restrictions on cultural and historical Iraqi items. You cannot bring out things you find and some items you may buy in local shops could be restricted. The amount of gold you can travel with is also restricted by Iraq, so beware of this because you could get excess amounts confiscated by Iraqi authorities.

Further, do not assume that if you find a spent shell on the ground that it is ok to pick it up and bring it out of the country. This could be restricted and could land you in trouble with the military and possibly your employer. Some employers also restrict the possession of these items, so be sure to understand their rules. I've heard of people getting fired for possessing spent shells so it's just not worth it at all. Take it seriously, if you find some spent shells or other items of military interest, don't touch them and notify the MPs or BDOC which are located at all bases and they will take care of it. Further, it could injure you in some cases, so again not worth it.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Jumping off into a Warzone Job

So.. You think you want to take on a new adventure? Roll off into the sunset and see the world? Live like a soldier for a while? Do your part for your country? Show your true grit?

All are great ambitions, and frankly most of us veteran warzone contractors have thought some or all of these things. We all have different motivations for going off to do this type of work and really, it's not that important, but certainly knowing your motivations behind doing this work will help you to survive it.

What do I mean by that, well if you're getting into this because maybe your an adventure hound... Well, you could find that in this type of work. Or, you could become incredibly bored because in some places and locations it's 99.9% boredom and safe and you'll probably wash out fast. So, finding the right job in the right location that matches your motivations is very important.

If you're the adventurous type you may want to consider work in the trades doing construction work. These jobs are usually, not always, at locations that are ramping up or tearing down. There will be in locations most likely that will have limited resources, you will live rough, showers may be a luxury, MRE's common.

Or.. if you want to do your part for your country, but aren't that interested in the adventure part you could enlist in the army maybe? Or, possibly you're over the age limit and have say asthma? Still want to do your part? Well, there is a place for you too must likely over there. Possibly you are an accountant.. lots of those jobs in the warzone. You could go work in payroll in Baghdad or in materials in Bagram. Lot's of opportunity.

All of these thoughts are to identify the fact that it is important to try and understand your own motivations for going to the warzone. I'm not knocking or glorifying any of these reasons, all are noble and necessary in this environment, but it's important for your own longevity to understand what your motivations are and match them to the job type as closely as possible.

Another item to understand that I have discussed before is that the programs and projects 'over there' are far larger than any one individual or group of individuals. You will find that you may even make a significant impact while you are there, but when you are gone you will likely not be remembered at all. It's just the way it is. The quicker you can truly understand this the easier things may be on you as you go in and out.

The other thing to remember is, there is no loyalty in this business. We are all a number and you must watch out for yourself. There are lots of companies there, but for most of them you are nothing more than a 'contract employee' at best. Typically you are not even directly employed by the contractor you work for but thru a third party company or subsidiary. That should tell you how they think about you. Again, just the way it is. So with that in mind understand that even though you are probably loyal to those you work with, the company as a whole is not loyal to you. And.. contrary to popular belief even the most senior managers on the largest contract, Logcap are all contract employees with the same benefits as those that work for them and with the same contract mindset.

So, as a whole, take a good inventory of your motivations for this work and you're life will be much easier there. It's very difficult to do this, especially if you've never done this work before and you have nothing to compare it to. Read a lot, read this blog and others on say indeed.com and dangerzonejobs.com that will give you a good bit of info as well.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Preparing Your Family

The hardest part of serving in the warzone is to prepare your family. I've already mentioned in a previous post about the absolute need for a will and power of attorney.

The reason I stress the power of attorney is that when you are in the warzone communications can be very difficult to impossible, you don't know when or where you'll be from time to time. Also, the time difference adds additional complexity to the equation. If you are a tradesman out in the field you will likely have very limited computer access and only have phone pool access.

If you are in management or an 'inside job' (accounting, HR, etc) then you will have easy phone and computer access at most locations. If an emergency arises the need for the PoA will become apparent immediately. Need to access money or other resources for family is essential. The PoA can be downloaded for free at many sites. One of which is http://www.expertlaw.com/library/estate_planning/durable_power_of_attorney.html I have no affiliation to them, I used their form which was free and my wife had to use it when communicating with banks, etc on several occasions.

The need for the will is somewhat obvious. You ARE going to be in a warzone. Therfore, the liklihood of you becoming seriously injured or killed increases compared to being at home. You should cover this eventuality by addressing your wishes in the will. Especially if you have children, are a single parent, etc. Again, you can download many of these forms online, and the previous link does have a sample will as well. To bring this into focus I have personally had 3 friends die over there working in both IRaq and Afghanistan. The deaths in Iraq were very recent (2010), so it's still very dangerous there for expats.

You can also pay legalzoom to do these forms for you cheaper than an attorney. I have used them in the past to success.

Further, buy life insurance. The plans offered by KBR and others are expensive. The plan will need to exclude the warzone clause. If you are prior military you can buy these types of policies rather inexpensively from Navy Mutual Aid, ASMBA, etc. You can go online and calculate your life insurance need there. Make sure that you have thought this part out well, it's nice having a piece of mind. It's really not that expensive, should be around 90-150/month for $1mil coverage depending on your physical. Make sure to do this ahead of time as you won't have time prior to leaving to get the physical done if you wait until the offer comes. They do sell these policies from KBR, etc but are expensive as I mentioned. About 2-3 times the price I quoted above.

Lastly, please be sure to prepare your family for the separation as much as possible. Make sure to buy a phone card at the PX as soon as you get there. This will make life easier when you travel between bases. Also, if you are going to work in the trades area then you really need to be sure you do this as you may only have pay phone access depending on where you are located. If you have children, try to break the time up into segments like a special day for when you return for R&R (holiday, birthday, etc). That does help the time go by for them. Just suggestions, but it's difficult nonetheless.

Cellular phone access in Afghanistan is actually better than in Iraq I found (as of mid 2010). Roshan is very affordable in Afghanistan, I found Iraqna to be relatively expensive to call home. I could call home from Afghanistan on my cell phone for about .15/minute which isn't too bad. There are a few topup sites that you will find out there the cheapest I found was callafghanistan.net which eliminates the need to go to the PX to get minutes and they only charge $1-2 over pX prices, well worth it and you can do it from anywhere that has internet.

Regarding internet access.. Again Afghanistan actually wins out with this at most bases, especially if you are with a small company. There are some pX provided services that cost 60-100 / month. At the small FOBs you'll need to rely on your employer. If you're with FLuor the access is actually better at the smaller bases than the larger bases. If you're in Iraq with KBR most of the time you'll have good net access with Skype capability. Skype capability with FLuor in Afghanistan was pretty limited to not available depending on the base.

How to get started.

After you get items I previously posted squared away the next thing that I would recommend doing is to get an account at dangerzonejobs.com . I do not have any affiliation with them at all, but their service ($99 lifetime) is well worth the cost. They have the latest news, information and job resources available for those that want to live a little on the edge of life and work in a war zone.

Make sure to update your resume with the latest info. Be sure to include ANY prior military experience you have. This is key and is important especially to the HR recruiters who are sorting thru thousands of resumes. If you have or have ever had a security clearance be sure to highlight that as well.

Make sure to include any valid licenses you may have especially trades, engineering, etc. They are building over 90 FOB's in Afghanistan right now and decommissioning a significant quantity in Iraq so trades are needed. Again, apply to any/all positions that you feel you qualify for. Do this more than once and on a regular basis.

Next, as previously mentioned, make sure you do not have any medical issues such as high blood pressure, dental work needed, etc. This can disqualify you once you go for processing so may as well take care of it now. Otherwise, you could end up disappointing yourself with getting all the way to processing and then potentially have a long (unpaid possibly) wait to get medically cleared.

Also, setup a separate checking account to receive your pay. I would recommend, since for most people this is more money than they ever had or will make, to segregate your money into separate accounts. One for paying bills and the others for savings, paying off debt, etc. The last thing you want is to work your butt off in a war zone and end up in debt! I have seen it with my own eyes, so don't think it can't happen. I would recommend getting with the Dave Ramsey program if this is an issue for you. 52FC2QZ66Z6C

Another question I get asked is "do inside contacts help?" Quite simply yes, but isn't a magic bullet, it's really a matter of luck at the end of the day. Does a position come across at the right time that generally matches your skillset. For example, when I was originally hired on Logcap it was for a position that wasn't even posted, but because of a unique skillset I had I got the notice of the HR recruiters on Logcap. I had no insider contacts at all. The same will likely go for you, it's just a matter of making sure to make your resume stand out.

How do you do that you will certainly be asking yourself right now.. Well a few suggestions as stated previously are adequately describing your military experience, any previous military / civilian warzone work you may have done and highlighting any pertinent clearances you may have (SF85/86). These all will make your resume stand out. I would avoid getting too technical in the resume as the recruiters are non-technical people. I would even recommend using a resume service to help with that.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

True Grit in the Warzone

I went to see the movie True Grit with Jeff Bridges yesterday. A great flick. I was reminded of some of the experiences I had in the warzone. You may think I'm thinking of witnessing shootouts, soldiers on the battlefield, etc. No, I'm thinking about True Grit, true resolve and the ability to survive and even thrive in a difficult environment.

Sounds great right? Like someone big, rough tough, some guy with 20" biceps and a 400 lb bench press right? Sometimes maybe. More often than not I saw "True Grit" in the most unlikely people. People that you would see walking down the street and wouldn't even give a second thought that they were made of solid titanium on the inside, could survive and thrive in the most difficult environments in the world.

You wouldn't even describe them as adventurous most likely, probably a bit boring. This is one of the true myths of this type of work, and soldiering in general. You don't know who is going to make it just by looking at their physical prowess or talk about what they like to do or could do. It's one of those great mysteries of human nature and that is the ability to reach deep down inside and find a way to go further, do more with nothing left.

So to bring this back to the comparison to the movie without spoiling it. The lead character is not someone you would expect to have True Grit or someone that you would even think of in that way. That is the way it is in the warzone, and you will find in your travels there that the guys that claim to be rough and tough and ability to survive often are the ones that wash out the quickest. Although even that could be proven wrong time and again.

As a manager / leader in that environment I made a point to not make assumptions on what each individual could or would be able to do. You have to assume that they won't make it and plan accordingly because the environment makes quitters out of winners and winners out of 'losers'.