Hundreds of Afghanistan contractor deaths go unreported

[GermanSynergy]

It depends. For instance, in Iraq, you generally have

Expats- US/UK/ZA - These are your security guys, intelligence support folks and SMEs.

LN- Local Iraqis that operate on bases that are day labourers, truck drivers and run hadji shops.

TCNs- Third country nationals- guy from India, Nepal, etc. These folks drive the trucks, wash laundry and prepare meals in the dining facilities.

In terms of qualifications, it all depends on what job you’re after.

The requirements for a logistics coordinator will differ from a private security specialist.

Generally, former .mil or leo, clearance and knowing someone to give you a recommendation will get your cv looked at.

@Son of Vlad Tepes

I had no idea that so many contractors were being killed. I hope that they can stay as safe as our troops obviously.

Is there such a thing as the average contractor? Are most ex military? Do they come from the “regular” services, or do they tend to be more ex Special Forces types.

I seem to remember an article in Soldier of Fiction about a contractor, and his hours were terrible and he was issued really substandard equipment, but he was working a pretty “low glamor” armed security guard kind of job if I remember correctly.

[Iraq_Ninja]

@Son of Vlad Tepes

Is there such a thing as the average contractor? Are most ex military? Do they come from the “regular” services, or do they tend to be more ex Special Forces types.

I seem to remember an article in Soldier of Fiction about a contractor, and his hours were terrible and he was issued really substandard equipment, but he was working a pretty “low glamor” armed security guard kind of job if I remember correctly.

If it is the same article I read in SOF, the guy was not even in a war zone, but rather in Kuwait I think. He was doing static security work, which sucks and nobody strives to stay in those jobs anyhow. For the average PSD operator in Iraq, the lifestyle is very good with reasonable hours.

Most security contractors are former military, but only a small number are former SF types. Most are former grunts with a combat tour or two.

Today in Iraq, most military units can not roll out the front gate unless they got an Iraqi escort with them or they get approval from the Iraqis. Contractors are licensed through the Iraqi government to operate within the country, and have to abide by the same laws as everyone else does. If a checkpoint manned by the Iraqi police says you can’t go thru, you turn around and head home. We rarely have any issues that can’t be solved with a case of water or a soccer ball.

In twenty years when I got a grandchild on me knee asking what I did during the war on terror, at least I won’t have to say that I stayed home and shoveled shit on the Internet (apologies to George Patton) and that I worked alongside some of the finest troops our Country has ever put into harms way. I just feel lucky to be a part of all this and don’t expect anyone to understand my motivation. People who are in it just for the money, normally don’t hang around after the first IED blast…

[HK45]

The scale is dramatically new. Pretty obvious. Everything you listed was done by US military not very long ago at all.

@GermanSynergy

The use of contractors by the Unites States is nothing new. Don’t drink the left wing kool aid by thinking that they are all money hungry, blood thirsty “mercs”, either.

Contractors do alot more than security work. They prepare meals, do laundry, provide intelligence, maintain vehicles and much more. Without them, we’d need many more troops in harms way to do these jobs.

Have you ever met an Iraq/Afghanistan contractor in person, or do you get all of your preconcieved notions about them from the left wing media?

You’re painting with an awfully large brush…

[HK45]

@variablebinary

I would like see a true cost analysis on whether if using contractors is cheaper than just growing the military to offset the need of contractors.

It’s not about cheaper its about growing the military industrial complex Eisenhower warned us about. Look at who is behind the dramatic unprecedented growth. Cheney was a big player for one. A five time draft deferrer who had “other priorities”.

[GermanSynergy]

@HK45

The scale is dramatically new. Pretty obvious. Everything you listed was done by US military not very long ago at all.

How would you remedy this situation? Place more troops in harms way?

[RancidSumo]

@GermanSynergy

How would you remedy this situation? Place more troops in harms way?

I would move towards complete privatization and a non-interventionist foreign policy. Of course, that isn’t going to happen anytime soon.

[GermanSynergy]

Are you saying that you have no sympathy for members of the Armed Forces, Police, Fire, EMS & others who choose to go into harms way?

Forgive me for saying, it sounds very callous and cold hearted.

Also, who doesn’t take a job without some expectation of monetary compensation?

@Mac5.56

I have no sympathy for people that die who choose to take a job that has death as major risk of employment. Especially when they are doing that employment simply for an income.

[armakraut]

We could potentially save a lot of money by closing down most of our bases overseas and expanding the navy, air force and marine corps.

[SeriousStudent]

@Iraq_Ninja

…People who are in it just for the money, normally don’t hang around after the first IED blast…

Sig line material. There’s nothing as sobering as staring one’s mortality directly in the face.

[DacoRoman]

IraqNinja and GermanSynergy thank you for educating me on this issue.

IraqNinja, I think maybe we are talking about the same SOF article, thanks for clarifying a few things about that.

In any case, godspeed out there IraqNinja, stay safe. You certainly have an interesting job, and maybe, if I had your guts and training, maybe I’d opt for a similar job description, err if I had the guts :o