Civilian Jobs In Iraq And Afghanistan

Civilian jobs in Iraq and Afghanistan are plentiful if you are interested. You can pick up some good money over in the Middle East. Of course, there is plenty of risk, which is why they pay you so much. I have worked for six different companies over in the Middle East between the First Gulf War and the current one. I worked in several towns in Iraq, Afghanistan, Dubai, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. It used to be that the military personnel covered all of these jobs on their own. In this war, the military is saving their personnel to fight the war. They are hiring civilians to do a lot of things. There are food service jobs, truck driving jobs, construction jobs, warehouse jobs, security jobs, laundry jobs, poppy eradication jobs, electrician jobs, mechanic jobs, medical jobs, and the list goes on.

So how can you get one of these jobs? If you used to be in the military, go to Military Hire.com and start applying for the jobs you are qualified for and interested in. Most of the civilian contractors are ex-military.

Many people are flocking to the Middle East in wartime to make a lot of money to pay off bills and to save up for major purchases such as land, a large home, a boat, a trailer, or vacation property. Others just want a good savings account or the security of a retirement fund.

A lot of the jobs are by contract only. The contracts are usually for one year at a time. Some give you a monthly salary. Others pay you a base salary plus hazard duty pay because you are in a war zone. Many of the companies offer a contract completion bonus payable only after the year of service has been completed.

Before submitting your resume, make sure you pick out key words in the qualifications listed on the employer site. Then make sure those key words are in your resume. A computer will read your resume first and if it does not see key words in your resume, then it is filed and no human eyes see your resume.

Computer jobs tend to be the highest paying jobs. Just remember that whether you go to Iraq or Afghanistan, not to mention Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, or United Arab Emirates, you will be in the Middle East and not the United States of America, Canada, or Europe. This is a dangerous place with people who do not value human life the way we do.

One thing to watch out for is that many countries outside the United States do not have the labor laws we have. In some cases, workers have gone months without getting paid. And, there is always the chance that you will be killed or kidnapped by insurgents.

I have seen trucks pull in with all kinds of damage. Bullet holes through the windshield. Busted windows from rocks. Places where an RPG hit and bounced off. In one case we got a new fork lift at Camp Warhorse. But the connex it was in was hit by an IED. The IED sent shrapnel into the exhaust and radiator of the forklift. It took us a month to fix it.

Contractor jobs in Iraq can sometimes be rough. One time something bit me on the leg. At the time I just thought it was a splinter since we were working around some rough wood.

The next morning I woke up, very sick. So sick I could not even get out of bed. My right leg was swollen to three times its normal size. My head was pounding. I was cold, very cold. I turned the heater on high and climbed under the blankets.

Even today, about every three months, I get this sickness. I guess a spider got me with something good.

Civilian companies working in Iraq need your services desperately to provide protection for their employees and they are willing to pay for it. If you need money and you are good with a gun, these jobs are for you.

Pay for these jobs through an American company starts around $80,000 and goes up into the six-figure bracket per year if you complete your year-long contract. If you stay out of the United States for 330 days in any 365 day period, the first $80,000 you earn is tax-free.

Security jobs Iraq are usually performed on military bases. When the military moves off of the base for maneuvers and patrols, some of the security personnel go with the military, usually as part of a large convoy.

Be prepared to be miserably hot, live in a tent, and get shot at because you will be in a war zone. It seems obvious, yet so many civilians who come to Iraq to work do not realize this. They come in to camp. The first attack happens within a day or two and they are on the first plane out of Iraq. I have seen it happen over and over.

Before you quit your job at home to go to Iraq or Afghanistan, think long and hard about it. Make up your mind that you will not take off at the first explosion or at the first bullet that, hopefully, whizzes on by you.