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.