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Iraq for Sale
- Thread starter kau
- Start date
I haven't seen that documentary, but I've read alot about the subject of private contractors making out like bandits in Iraq. It's been a money free-for-all there for years, with virtually no oversight. Millions of dollars have just gone missing, and much of the rest into the pockets of corporations from Halliburton to Blackwater.
Private contractors aren't subject to laws of either Iraq or the US, so have carte blanche no matter what they do. Unlike the military, no one is going to investigate if some civilians get killed, for instance. People working private security get payed way more than soldiers doing similar work who are equally in harm's way.
Private contractors aren't subject to laws of either Iraq or the US, so have carte blanche no matter what they do. Unlike the military, no one is going to investigate if some civilians get killed, for instance. People working private security get payed way more than soldiers doing similar work who are equally in harm's way.
JuanCarlos
New member
I've seen it. Thought it was pretty good. I thought it was a bit heavy-handed, but from what I saw first-hand I don't doubt the veracity of most of it (and can verify some).
Haven't seen it.
Have not seen it yet, but being about halfway through my recently extended second tour here, I can definitely give some insight on contractors.
The ones making out like bandits and skimming millions for generally poor service/performance are the logistics-oriented cantractors, mainly KBR, Halliburton, and Scania (fuel). Read an issue of Stars and Stripes if you can find it, or do a search online, and you can find tons of gripes from troops about poor food, poor housing, and horrific laundry service. While it is better at some bases than others, it is pretty much unanimous that these guys are performing at a lower standard than comparable stateside facilities. However, they are charging MORE for their services here than other places.
The security contractors are a different story. There are incidents involving civilians, but not to the extent that some e-rumors tend to spread. Also, their legal carte-blanche gives them the ability to respond to situations that we in the military can only watch, thumb in bum. The rules of engagement, political attention, and Geneva Convention requirements limit us to the point that for some soldiers, even firing in self defense is a roll of the dice. The contractors on the other had can bypass all that crap and kill the enemy, which is why we're really here to begin with. To kill terrorists. Also, many of the contractors here work literally side-by-side with us on the streets, and provide some pretty great support. AEGIS even has some armored vehicles that have helped us with IED route clearing in the past. They also do things that would otherwise tie up military combat elements, like gate guard and FOB security. They earn every bit of their money, and then some, bleeding and sweating right along with us.
While the logistics teams are especially shady and poorly performing, the security contractors are doing work that GI's either can't or shouldn't be doing, and are earning their paychecks doing it. The shame is not how much blackwater employees get paid, but that US troops don't get near enough.
I'll break down my paycheck (in round numbered generalities to represent the average pay bracket) for perspective. I am a married SPC (P), and here is what I get paid, in Iraq. Base pay, BAH (housing), BAS (food), combat pay, family seperation incentive, hostile fire pay, and the combat zone tax exclusion, which forgoes Federal Income Tax on monthly pay (up to 6000 per month). My GROSS income right now is about 3600 per month. After losing BAH (goes right back to post housing) and paying for family insurance and my life insurance (not completely free as rumored, but cheap) and the other miscellaneous expenses the government deducts against our checks, my NET pay is roughly 2400 a month, and will go down again once I leave Iraq and the combat benefits stop. That comes to roughly 29000 a year for a twelve month tour. Our extension "compensation pay" for 90+ days will be 3000, making my take home pay for a 15 month combat tour 32000. Considering tha most most lower enlisted troops are in a similar pay bracket it is safe to assume that 30,000 to 35,000 is a reasonable estimate for the yearly net salary of "entry level" personnel in Iraq. with 42,000 to 45,000 the gross salary.
By contrast, if I were to leave the military and do the same job I do now (bulk fuel transport/aviation refuel) for KBR, the starting salary, per year, is roughly 80,000 to 90,000 dollars. In addition, they eat in military chow facilities, use military laundry, and have access to most other military facilities on each FOB. Also, where US troops receive leave only one block of leave per deployment (14 days) contractors get, depending on which company, 15-30 days every 3-5 months in country. so their GROSS pay would be (85000 per year estimate) roughly 7100 per month (twelve month tour) or nearly DOUBLE a US GI's gross monthly salary. To do the same job.
Security contractors make even more, but again, do more to earn it. Blackwater contractors make annual salaries in the 6 digit range.
I don't claim to have all the answers about the contractors, and there may be some monetary information I'm missing regarding them, but the overall picture is that they get paid twice what we do for the same job. I'm not complaining about this, I knew the pay was lowed when I volunteered and that's not why I'm here. At the same time however, the recent publicity regarding contractors and their cost makes this information very important when determining whether contractors are actually SAVING the military money, and whether or not their service justifies their operating costs.
Have not seen it yet, but being about halfway through my recently extended second tour here, I can definitely give some insight on contractors.
The ones making out like bandits and skimming millions for generally poor service/performance are the logistics-oriented cantractors, mainly KBR, Halliburton, and Scania (fuel). Read an issue of Stars and Stripes if you can find it, or do a search online, and you can find tons of gripes from troops about poor food, poor housing, and horrific laundry service. While it is better at some bases than others, it is pretty much unanimous that these guys are performing at a lower standard than comparable stateside facilities. However, they are charging MORE for their services here than other places.
The security contractors are a different story. There are incidents involving civilians, but not to the extent that some e-rumors tend to spread. Also, their legal carte-blanche gives them the ability to respond to situations that we in the military can only watch, thumb in bum. The rules of engagement, political attention, and Geneva Convention requirements limit us to the point that for some soldiers, even firing in self defense is a roll of the dice. The contractors on the other had can bypass all that crap and kill the enemy, which is why we're really here to begin with. To kill terrorists. Also, many of the contractors here work literally side-by-side with us on the streets, and provide some pretty great support. AEGIS even has some armored vehicles that have helped us with IED route clearing in the past. They also do things that would otherwise tie up military combat elements, like gate guard and FOB security. They earn every bit of their money, and then some, bleeding and sweating right along with us.
While the logistics teams are especially shady and poorly performing, the security contractors are doing work that GI's either can't or shouldn't be doing, and are earning their paychecks doing it. The shame is not how much blackwater employees get paid, but that US troops don't get near enough.
I'll break down my paycheck (in round numbered generalities to represent the average pay bracket) for perspective. I am a married SPC (P), and here is what I get paid, in Iraq. Base pay, BAH (housing), BAS (food), combat pay, family seperation incentive, hostile fire pay, and the combat zone tax exclusion, which forgoes Federal Income Tax on monthly pay (up to 6000 per month). My GROSS income right now is about 3600 per month. After losing BAH (goes right back to post housing) and paying for family insurance and my life insurance (not completely free as rumored, but cheap) and the other miscellaneous expenses the government deducts against our checks, my NET pay is roughly 2400 a month, and will go down again once I leave Iraq and the combat benefits stop. That comes to roughly 29000 a year for a twelve month tour. Our extension "compensation pay" for 90+ days will be 3000, making my take home pay for a 15 month combat tour 32000. Considering tha most most lower enlisted troops are in a similar pay bracket it is safe to assume that 30,000 to 35,000 is a reasonable estimate for the yearly net salary of "entry level" personnel in Iraq. with 42,000 to 45,000 the gross salary.
By contrast, if I were to leave the military and do the same job I do now (bulk fuel transport/aviation refuel) for KBR, the starting salary, per year, is roughly 80,000 to 90,000 dollars. In addition, they eat in military chow facilities, use military laundry, and have access to most other military facilities on each FOB. Also, where US troops receive leave only one block of leave per deployment (14 days) contractors get, depending on which company, 15-30 days every 3-5 months in country. so their GROSS pay would be (85000 per year estimate) roughly 7100 per month (twelve month tour) or nearly DOUBLE a US GI's gross monthly salary. To do the same job.
Security contractors make even more, but again, do more to earn it. Blackwater contractors make annual salaries in the 6 digit range.
I don't claim to have all the answers about the contractors, and there may be some monetary information I'm missing regarding them, but the overall picture is that they get paid twice what we do for the same job. I'm not complaining about this, I knew the pay was lowed when I volunteered and that's not why I'm here. At the same time however, the recent publicity regarding contractors and their cost makes this information very important when determining whether contractors are actually SAVING the military money, and whether or not their service justifies their operating costs.
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