Iraq Jobs... Would you take one?

[foreigncorrespondent]

Today I was surfing around at all the different jobs in my field which are currently open. As I was browsing I of course stumbled across many security jobs being offered in Iraq.

I was not looking for jobs in Iraq, yet I was presented with them through a few of the job networks I belong to.

And even though the money is good (some jobs are offering $150k (U.S.) a year tax free) I could never put myself in that kind of danger.

So after this I decided to do some research about the jobs being offered in Iraq, and I stumbled across one place (I think it may have been About.com)that reckons Haliburton has over 100,000 applications of interested parties willing to put their life in danger for work.

So my question to you guys is, would you truly consider taking a job in Iraq for $150k a year tax free? How much is your life worth to you?

[Skittles]

1. you could not pay me enough to be a war profiteer

PERIOD

[foreigncorrespondent]

3. I feel the same way, Skittles! (n/t)

[Fleshdancer]

27. took the words right out of my mouth n/t

[Rockerdem]

2. Where exactly?

[foreigncorrespondent]

4. One site...

...showed listings for security officers and police officers to work in Baghdad. So a lot of the jobs are going in the major hot spots.

Of course if you mean where are these jobs, just go to monster.com, seek.com, etc, or even google jobs in Iraq and you will find them.

I think because I do work in the security industry and they are trying to currently fill jobs in my industry over there at the minute, that when I went to check on some jobs in monster today, I got presented with the Iraq listings as well.

[Rockerdem]

20. Sorry - I was just kidding

I dont want to have another "smile" 3 or 4 inches lower.

[zmdem]

7. Exactly

I'd consider a job in the Kurdish provinces, perhaps in the Shia south. In the Sunni region, forget it. Of course, put a couple of stars on my shoulder and I might reconsider the Sunni triangle ;)

[Solly Mack]

5. No amount of money could induce me to work for Halliburton/KBR

or any of the other American contractors over there.

[Djinn]

6. nothing to do with my life

I've worked/stayed in in dangerous places before, it's the utter immorality of it.

I wouldn't have taken a job with the Nazi's or Apartheid South Africa either, apart from the tacit support you are giving to the war you are taking the job from an Iraqi (although most Iraqi's probably wanna stay clear of collaborating as well) and while you MAY be being paid by a US/UK or Saudi firm you are essentially stealing money from Iraq as they're are pretty much being held to ransom over the costs of the war that was imposed upon them (see Naomi Klein's excellent pieces on reparations etc http://www.nologo.org/)

No amount of money on earth would get me there.

[foreigncorrespondent]

9. Nor me, mate!

I can remember reading a story a short while ago, about an Aussie bloke who was over there working as a contractor for one of the big American contractors (can't remember which one.) Anyway, he was earning large sums of money, plus had a free place to stay and all the food he wanted. And he was trying to recruit other able bodied Aussies to go over as well.

It is unbelievable how much greed can control a person. I mean, Sapph and I sure could use money like that in order to see one another a lot more than we do, but obviously we have a higher set of morals than most of the idiots taking this kind of money and heading over there.

[Sirveri]

8. I'm taking a job with the US Navy, does that count?

But I'm mainly doing this because I'm looking for a way out, hoping to dodge a potential draft by going into a service that primarily provides support, and well I need to go to college and can't possibly afford it in my present locale.

[foreigncorrespondent]

11. Mate...

...regardless of what it is you would be doing, if you are heading over there and making money for it, then that counts!

And I do understand your reasons for signing up. I do feel very sorry for you and your family though. It can be pretty hard on everyone concerned.

[Sirveri]

15. It's kinda hard to explain.

I mean, I don't even think I'll be going over there, not for at least two years anyways (I have a really long school program). But even if I go over there, I won't be in Iraq, I'll be sitting on a carrier or sub out in the gulf. So... I dunno, is it wrong to support bringing food and ammo to the troops? Am I supporting the war if I simply help make the ship move to its destination? What if I get onto a ship that never goes into the persian gulf, like a Ballistic missle sub? It's all very complex and all that.

[foreigncorrespondent]

16. Don't listen...

...to fools who tell you because you are serving your country in order to go to college you are supporting Bush*s illegal war. What you are doing is supporting the troops, and that is something that everyone should be doing. The troops didn't ask for the war, it was handed to them just as much as it was handed to us.

[Sirveri]

26. I've already had to make peace with my choice.

So really, I'm probably just being melodramatic. Already had to swear my oath of allegiance. Just need to remember that upholding and protecting the constitution comes first. Besides, I think people would rather folks like me are out there rather than some freeper who is out to kill as many 'heretics' as possible.

[Djinn]

23. whether it's wrong is up to you to decide

but in my opinion what you're planning on is insane and selfish - sorry. There is no draft so you don't actually need to avoid it right now - and despite what the neocons would LOVE to do I'd be floored if they tried a flat draft anytime soon.

by bringing food and ammo you are supporting the war - it's pretty cut and dried - what do you think the ammo is going to be used for?

while the troops didn't statr the war they ARE continuing it, some soldiers have said NO - they're the ones I support

It's really not complex at all - you join the armed forces right now and are involved in ANY way in Iraq then you're enabling an illegal war.

[Sirveri]

25. And I could also not be sent to Iraq. We'll see in 2 years.

Point blank, my job was outsourced, I don't have the money to go back to school or to move to a cheaper living environment, and I'm sick of playing around in a labor market where I'm basically shat upon. At least in the service they will shit on me with rules attached.

As for bringing food and ammo supporting the war, what exactly would they do without food and ammo aside from get shot and killed even more quickly? We need to realise that the military can NOT end this, only the civilian leadership can. Blaming the average grunt in the field for using his weapon is not going to help anyone or anything.

So yeah, I'm going in for 'selfish' reasons. I'd like to try to make something out of my life as oppossed to wallowing in poverty for the rest of my days. On some level, I love the idea of serving my country, but if I could get my good old job back, I wouldn't be doing this. Desperate situations call for desperate measures. If I had other options open to me instead of having nearly every other door shut in my face, I'd take them, but right now all the other options are worse than this one. I can not afford to wait another 4 years.

[MADem]

28. Have you been to the classifier yet?

Do you have a school guarantee?

[Sirveri]

29. Yes, Nuclear Field.

[MADem]

32. Good luck to you

Do well in boot camp, and STUDY HARD, do not get dropped from your A and B schools. You want to stay in that field, and you'll be OK down the line. Also, don't decide that you want to get confessional half way through boot camp and tell them about some odd recreational drug use that you forgot to mention to the recruiter; I can't tell you how many recycled ENs and ETs I ended up with who were dumped from their nuke programs for these sorts of reasons. They had a tough adjustment to the life of the ordinary wrench bender or wiring king.

You obviously scored well on the ASVAB; just keep your head down, your mind focused and you will get through the program just fine. It isn't a cakewalk, but it is totally do-able if you keep your priorities straight. The temptation to party after boot camp is huge, just DEFER it until after you finish up all of your advanced training. Welcome aboard!

[ornotna]

10. No way

no. never. Not going to sell my soul for $150K. nope.

[K-W]

12. I probably would.

But I neither value my life nor would want to pass up a chance to have such and experience. My girlfriend would probably disagree.

[foreigncorrespondent]

17. I bet she would too! (n/t)

[otohara]

13. This Guy

my hubby knows - couldn't stand the constant gun fire and bombs. They could never work, because it was so unsafe. Came back in the red, spent more money than he made.

[foreigncorrespondent]

19. Bloody hell!

That really isn't good!

I was reading that the person making the application for work over there, 9 times out of 10 has to pay to get their security clearance, their own tickets to get over there, visas etc. You would think if the companies are so desperate to rebuild they would bloody well pay all that for the the person they hired!

[KharmaTrain]

30. Great Thread...We Can't Even Agree

It's wrong to blame the grunts for this war...especially those who signed up long before this invasion began and was hoping the military was a way to get a college education and a career. Didn't seem that long ago that a stint in the military meant better chances at good jobs thanks the the intense computer & other technical skills. Virtually every airplane pilot got his jet training in a military, for example. But that was when we weren't invading countries to plunder their populace and resources.

Now, assuming your premise is strictly outsourcing...meaning these jobs are strictly non-military and that the person taking this job would be doing so on their own...while I disagree with the war and would gladly tell that person how immoral things are, I can't condemn them for going. They're taking the risk. Yes, they're also enabling, but I suspect that job turnover there must be tremendous and with all the dangers around, whatever work that does get done, does so very slowly.

To the person signing up...I wish you luck and can see your side of this as well. I was facing the possibility of a Vietnam vacation in my last years of high school (in the early 70's...the draft was still going full tilt) and I investigated my options. We had a family friend who volunteered and ended up working a desk in Germany...another did the same thing and ended up with a rough 2 year hitch in Hawaii and the Phillipines. The closest they came to the war was in the papers. My plan was to jump into Armed Forces Radio & Television and hope to end up running a radio shack in Alaska. Fortunately, the Paris Treaty was signed just prior to my 18th birthday, but now my son (who is 17) and I are discussing what his options are as well.

The difference between then and now is that I will not hesitate to move to Canada or another country...yes, my U.S. citizenship hold little value to me these days...if I knew he would be sucked up into this immoral war.

Cheers

[Cleita]

14. Nope, not even if I was suicidal.

That isn't enough money for hazard pay in those circumstances to begin with. Could it be that they don't plan on you living long enough to collect all they promised? Principles would deter me otherwise as well. Maybe someone should go post at the freeper site all the golden opportunities in Iraq.

[LynnTheDem]

18. Not just my life at stake; it's my SOUL.

And I won't sell my soul for any amount of money.

[Rapcw]

22. right on! n/t

[ultraist]

21. No way

Not for any amount of money because I have children. $150,000 isn't even the slightest bit enticing.

I was talking to a cop recently who was working at his second job at a convenience store near us and he said he was considering it because they offered him a hundred grand. I thought, how sad that someone who works as hard as he does thinks a hundred grand is a lot of money, especially for that dangerous of work. Really nice guy but he has such a blue collar mentality. How do smart, hardworking people end up like that?

I told him he should NOT go because he has young children and his wife and kids would be a lot worse off long term if something happened to him.

[MrSlayer]

24. As tempting as it is I won't take a job there.

I have absolutely no work right now at home but my trade can make twice 150k in Iraq. You have to sign on for three years though. So I can do electrical work in Iraq for nearly a million tax free dollars. I could really use that money but at the same time I don't want to get killed, you wear a tool pouch and a rifle over there. The survival instinct prevails over greed.

[Stella_Artois]

31. $150,000 ?

*does exchange rate calculation*

Thats around £4523 a year.

No thanks, perhaps when they don't pay in monopoly money.

[MADem]

33. If you are talking British POUNDS

You are TOTALLY off the mark...and need a new calculator, I think!79,703.94 pounds is what it comes out to, per today's exchange rate. Or 115,143.83 Euros, if you prefer.