The Temps of War: Blue-Collar Workers Ship Out for Iraq - WSJ

[question everything]

HOUSTON -- In a shuttered J.C. Penney store here, more than 500 job recruits sat at long tables and leafed through packets of information. John Watson, a staffing supervisor for Halliburton Co., welcomed them with a somber introduction.

(snip)

By the end of that early January week, four of every five recruits would be packing to leave for a one-year stint in Iraq. There, in the largest mobilization of civilians to work in a war zone in U.S. history, they drive trucks, deliver mail, install air conditioners, serve food and cut hair.

(snip)

The civilian wartime duty, hazardous and uncomfortable, offers a hard-to-find opportunity for blue-collar workers such as Mr. Hoehne: a paycheck of $80,000 to $100,000 and a chance to feel they are serving their country.

The Iraq-bound employees aren't adventure-seeking hired guns, there to bolster military strength. They are unemployed and underemployed workers with few opportunities in a U.S. economy that isn't producing many new jobs. They are willing to drive forklifts, install plumbing and wash clothes in a hostile environment for a substantial salary.

Halliburton, which has an open-ended logistics contract with the Army, has 7,000 workers on the ground in Iraq and is bringing another 500 each week to Houston. It posts fliers at truck stops and takes out banner ads on job-listing Web sites. Most recruits come in by word of mouth. So far, Halliburton has plenty of takers.

(snip)

[Qanisqineq]

1. hmmmm...

My husband puts his ass in harm's way daily over in Iraq, does the work of four people, sleeps 3-4 hours a day, and only makes about one-fourth of the low end of that salary.

[alcuno]

5. Tolania, this is so disgusting.

Cheney re-wrote the rules back when he was Sec of Defense to "privatize" troop support. And then look at which company got to run things - KBR. It's so grotesque to see them paying these outrageous contracts that don't benefit the military personnel.

[Mari333]

6. Yep my stepson will too..

and they are on the front lines. Like sitting ducks.

[Avalon Sparks]

2. Is that from the Wall Street Journal?

Can you send me the full article? I tried to email you but I couldn't get it to work.

[e-mail]


I'd really, really appreciate it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love the Wall Street Journal, I try to read it often, but I missed it today. I would have loved to have read that article.

Thanks!

[question everything]

11. Done n/t

[alcuno]

3. Meanwhile, Iraqis suffer under 60%+ unemployment.

I'm sure they'd be willing to drive trucks, deliver mail, cut hair, and WASH CLOTHES at a FRACTION of the cost. And then there are our military personnel who are being paid $30,000/year and get to provide security for these "logistics" workers.

Who decided to privatize logistics support? Can you say "Dick Cheney?" He was responsible for re-writing the rules back when he was Secretary of Defense and then goes into the private sector; running a company benefiting from the rules change. Then he goes back into government and hires his former company to get even more contracts.

The fleecing of America.

[Qanisqineq]

4. $30,000??

Maybe if you are an NCO, definitely if you are an officer, but the average "grunt"... um, no.

[alcuno]

8. Sorry. I was being overly generous.

The fact that it's less makes it even worse.

[asjr]

7. It takes

outsourcing to a whole new level.

[cheapbeemr]

9. I thought 'privatizing' was supposed to make everything cheaper....

silly me

[daleo]

10. Folding laundry for democracy

And 80K a year. Three cheers for Haliburton.