Contracting In A War Zone
So what does that mean, “contracting in a war zone?” Well, it could mean many things depending what the job is and where you are considering working. Currently Iraq and Afghanistan are considered war zones. At any given time you could be the target of rockets, mortars or gun fire. Of course, much of the time these rockets are shot blindly and land where they land. The massive bases where the US and coalition troops are located; cover such a large area that the majority of these rounds hit nothing. One might say that it’s more dangerous to walk down a dark street in a shady district of any given city. Maybe so, but at times these rounds do hit and kill military and civilians alike. By sheer volume, the insurgents are bound to hit someone eventually and their technology is getting more sophisticated all the time. For those who work and must travel frequently off of the military posts, then the danger is very real.
Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan
In most cases you’ll be living within some type of secure compound or safe house and not allowed to leave without scheduling transportation before hand. For example, in Iraq the only way to travel between bases is as part of an armed convoy such as hitching a ride in a Rhino (see picture), driving your own armored vehicle or taking a helicopter. Sometimes transportation is readily available and other times it’s very difficult to manifest the trip and of course it needs to be business related or “for official use only”. No joy rides here.
Protective Equipment
All contractors are required to have a combat helmet, flak vest, gas mask and other gear as necessary. This equipment will be provided either by your company or through a processing center before entering country. The US uses the CONUS Replacement Center (CRC) at Ft. Bliss, Texas, or Ft. Benning, Georgia. These centers provide a week long orientation to the Mideast and ensure that each individual receives the proper gear before deployment.
Once on site, this gear isn’t always worn. In fact, during my year in Baghdad I only wore the flak vest and helmet twice during mandatory drills. At some locations everyone is required to wear the gear more frequently. That’s not to say that I couldn’t have worn it all the time if I wanted to. It just wasn’t enforced and most people don’t want to walk around with all that heavy gear anyway.
Hours
Most people work 6 or 7 days a week, 12 hours a day. This is actually preferred since there is little else to do and why not make the most money you can. The little time off is often spent taking care of personal issues and laundry. It’s a personal choice and some do prefer at least a day off to do nothing but relax and read a good book or watch a video.
Meals
There are many Dining Facilities (also referred to as DIFAC’s) on all the US and Coalition bases scattered throughout Iraq, Afghanistan, Qatar, Kuwait, and other locations. These facilities provide good quality meals several times a day including breakfast, lunch, dinner and a midnight meal for those on shift work. As in most cafeteria settings, you’ll hear people complain about most anything. I felt that considering the volume of people served, for the most part, they did a pretty good job. On US and coalition holidays they would decorate the facility in celebration of the occasions. Oh, and by the way, all the meals in the dining facilities are free.
Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan
They also have fast food restaurants available which are set up in rustic but serviceable settings. In Baghdad there is an area set up near the Post Exchange where one could enjoy food from such restaurants as Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Popeye’s and others. The Green Beans Coffee Company has locations on numerous military bases. I’ve purchased coffee at their locations in Afghanistan, Qatar and Baghdad. In fact while in Baghdad I drank so much coffee that I began buying prepaid cards which could be used at other locations. When you go there, try out the MOAC -- Mother of All Coffees!
Basic Supplies
On most, if not all, of the military compounds in the Mideast, you will find a Base or Post Exchange, also referred to as the BX or PX depending on the service. It is usually operated by the Army, Air Force Exchange service (AAFES) on US posts. Here you will find retail merchandise such as the basic necessities, clothing, electronics, books and magazines and snacks.Local vendors are also allowed to setup shops, which are open on these posts for several hours or days a week. These vendors offer everything from local wares, to gift items, hardware, clothing, specialty items, etc.
If you are looking for something in particular, many people will simply purchase an item online. The good thing about this is your mailing address would be an Army Post Office (APO) address which always has a stateside designator. For instance, all mail going to the Mideast would have a stateside designator as “Name, Unit, Box, APO AE, and Zip Code”. The point is your shipping rate would be priced as a stateside address. Your mail is then forwarded through the military postal system.
Living Conditions
Living conditions are dependent on your location and sometimes the luck of the draw. For example, I know of several locations where new arrivals are required to live in tents. This could be a tent housing 30 or more individuals so hopefully you won’t be there long. You’ll have shift workers coming in and out all night, so it can be a rough experience.
Bagram Air Base
Once you become a permanent party, then you can add your name to a list in order to move into a trailer. Often this means living with a roommate in a very small room. Of course this is not always the case and it depends on the current mission and space availability.Another thing to consider is that most of these trailers are not “wet trailers” meaning they don’t have running water; so no bathroom. You are required to use a “bathroom trailer” which is set up as a bathroom and shower facility; one side for men and another side for the ladies. If you happen to live in a trailer located on the other side of the compound, this can really become a hassle. Incidentally, for the most part these bathroom facilities are few and portable toilets are located throughout the bases. If you work in a fixed facility then it may or may not have working toilets.
Health Care
Health care varies depending on the contract and agreements that your company has with the Government. For the most part, everyone is covered for emergency care at the local Troop Medical Clinic (TMC) which is primarily staffed by medics and military physicians. For general care, you will not be supported unless your company’s contract with the Government covers it. This is usually a standard clause although it’s certainly something that you want to be sure of. Even a minor cold can turn into a serious problem if not treated properly.For other medical needs, you will most likely be provided an International health plan which can be used with participating providers world wide. If you have a family, this will also provide coverage back home.
Base Security
Depending on your position, you may spend the majority of your time on post and within the confines of the perimeter walls. Typically the military bases are surrounded by either concrete walls, T-Walls (portable walls) or Hesco barriers which are made out of a wire mesh and used as a temporary blast barrier. Within these walls you’ll be surrounded by thousands of US and coalition troops all bearing arms, so needless to say you’re well protected.
Now if you’re traveling or working outside of the walls then it’s a different story. When traveling between locations you would participate either as part of a convoy or manifest for an aircraft flight. Helicopters are usually used for shorter distances and are a primarily means of travel for many. In this case you’re protected by a gunner on each side of the aircraft.
If you’re traveling as part of a convoy and have use of an armored vehicle, you can request to add your vehicle to the convoy. If available, you can also sign up for a ride in one of the scheduled transport vehicles which participate in these convoys. For instance, in Iraq, they have armored vehicles called Rhino’s which look like big camouflaged recreational vehicles and travel back and forth. Also when traveling off the base you’re required to wear a helmet and flak vest at all times.
Clothing
Clothing often depends on duty location, but is generally casual. You may be working in a dusty environment, and at many locations, you’ll be dealing with mud (during the rainy season) and walking over gravel. Many wear Docker style pants and an open collar shirt. In fact, some companies require this at a minimum. I did see some folks dressed in more formal attire when I traveled to the International Zone in Baghdad, but many of these offices support local Embassies and require a more formal standard. However, with that being said, don’t make the mistake that I did and over pack. I ended up sending a complete trunk of clothes back home after quickly realizing that I would never wear a suit and tie in Baghdad! For some silly reason I though that I might need it for a meeting.
Bagram Air Base
On many bases, the laundry services are provided free of charge. All you do is drop off your laundry bag at the laundry facility (or trailer) and pick it up a day or so later. Incidentally, don’t expect the greatest of care with your clothes. After a while, all of my white clothing had turned to a shade of pinkish brown.
You may also have access to laundry machines where you can wash your clothes yourself. I wasn’t so lucky!
Where I lived, they also have ironing services. It was all part of a combined trailer which included a tailor shop. If you are interested in purchasing tailor made suits for a low price then this is the place to have it done. I bought 4 suits and shipped them home when I returned.
Exercise
One problem that I noticed immediately was a lot of overweight people. Not just the civilians but military alike. Since most people work long hours, their big break of the day is going to the dining facility and since the food is free, people tend to indulge. In fact, every dining facility that I saw included a Baskin Robbins ice cream stand. Who can pass that up? So, needless to say people are eating well and not getting much exercise.
All the bases I’ve seen had decent exercise equipment in either a fixed or makeshift fitness center. Where I lived, the fitness center was a huge tent, although once you get inside, it was surprising how nice it was. They had all the traditional Nautilus-type equipment, free weights, tread mills, elliptical machines and monitors to watch television.Many bases also have established running trails or routes with the mileage already mapped out. I frequently ran around one of Sadam’s manmade lakes. At least I thought I was running, until the military folks would run by me like I was standing still!
Mail Call
From Baghdad, I found that it took on average about 10 days for a letter or package to make it to (or from) the US. Of course this will depend on your location and where you perform the majority of your duties.
Bagram Air Base
Most areas of the Middle East (in a war zone) have been authorized free postage for a card or letter sent from personnel overseas to the U.S. To mail a package, you would pay the standard US postal rate as if you were sending it from a stateside address. All mail received on these bases are usually distributed through the local military unit.Likewise for our UK friends, the Royal Mail and the BFPO have jointly undertaken to provide a free mail service for the families and friends of personnel serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. This service is expected to last as long as British forces are operating in these locations.
ATM Machines
There are no ATM's (that I'm aware of) on any of the military bases. The only way to get access to cash, is to write a personal check at the local military finance office and even then each individual is limited to a certain amount. In Baghdad we were limited to $200.00 a month but this is determined by the local pay office.
We were able to pay for items at the military exchange using our ATM cards and could receive cash back for a maximum amount of $20.00 per purchase.
