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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.