Stretching humvees kick up dusty clouds ahead as you scan the seemingly endless tan ridges through the scope of your rifle. The confines of the heavily armored vehicle offer reminders of why you’re thousands of miles from home, risking your life. For many private military contractors, days like these – filled with hazards, boredom, and substantial pay – are a way of life.
Over 30,000 private contractors flooded Iraq and Afghanistan alongside Coalition troops at the height of those wars. Supplying vital labor, technical skills, and security manpower on bases and on logistics convoys. Now, even as Western engagement wanes, tens of thousands STILL support US interests abroad across unstable regions like Africa. Some serve short violent contracts responding to crises. Others embed for years, living amongst locals while accelerating developing through infrastructure initiatives financed by American dollars.
Why Contract? Patriotism, Purpose & BIG Paydays
The contractor ranks draw largely from special operations backgrounds. Personnel with experience from MARSOC, the Green Berets, Delta Force, SAS, Seals, and other elite units utilize this avenue to satisfy patriotic leanings. Often unable to re-integrate into normal society, they jump at continuation of service alongside America’s foreign policy objectives.
There’s also alluring financial incentives unavailable elsewhere. Salaries often land in the low to mid six figures, enabling contractors to earn well into the multiple seven figures over a successful career. Tax advantages like foreign income exclusions save tens of thousands annually. Per diem reimbursements covering lodging, food, and expenses can exceed $70K tax-free yearly. By wisely investing earnings, many achieve lasting financial security after several deployments.
But key for most is purpose. Enlisted veterans and retired officers often feel adrift upon exiting familiar, tight-knit military communities. Contract work provides continuation contributing in high stakes environments alongside fellow patriots. Awards and achievements give tangible validation for sacrifices made abroad. And privately, all acknowledge the thrill and addictiveness of danger’s adrenaline rush and hyper-vigilance vortex. There simply isn’t anything stateside providing remotely close excitement.
Table 1 – Contractor Salaries Across Select Countries
| Country | Annual Salary Range* |
|---|---|
| Iraq | $100K – $175K |
| Afghanistan | $115K – $185K |
| Saudi Arabia | $75K – $150K |
| South Sudan | $95K – $160K |
| Pakistan | $70K – $140K |
*Includes salary, bonuses, tax-free per diem reimbursements
Surviving Rockets & Boredom for a Big Paycheck
Still, great rewards necessitate great risk. Mortars and rockets pepper bases randomly, keeping adrenaline high. Snipers stalk busy streets sighting predetermined avenues of approach and chokepoints. Insider attacks by disgruntled locals seeing big American paydays stir resentment. Even mundane routes transform into gauntlets, like the infamous ‘Highway of Death’ linking Baghdad’s Green Zone to airport transport hubs.
If danger was the sole attraction, most would tire rapidly. However, such attacks materialize sporadically amongst tedious routines. Picture interminable 12-16 hour shifts in sweltering 120 degree guard towers, cramped control rooms monitoring laggy drone feeds, or claustrophobic armored trucks. Contractors battle sleep deprivation, restrictions preventing leaving guarded perimeters, iffy electricity, blistering heat, nonexistent air conditioning, and intestine-wrecking local food.
For noted journalist Sebastian Junger, who spent months alongside a remote US outpost in Korengal valley chronicled in the film Restrepo, it‘s precisely this pendulum swing between terror and boredom that builds lasting trauma. While far better compensated, contractors suffer higher rates of PTSD, anxiety, depression, and suicide compared to civilians. Over years, hyper-vigilance erodes emotional resiliency. IED blasts inflict traumatic brain injury haunting victims. Many self-medicate with easily accessible alcohol and drugs.
Table 2 – Contractor Mental Health Statistics
| Condition | Percentage Affected |
|---|---|
| PTSD | 28% |
| Depression | 25% |
| Anxiety | 24% |
| Alcohol abuse | 12% |
| Suicidal ideation | 8% |
Death rates also dramatically eclipse civilian norms. Over 1,900 civilian contractors perished alongside nearly 7,000 US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. ProPublica and the Los Angeles Times identified at least 2,977 contractor deaths across both countries as of early 2022, but warn this likely still undercounts total casualties.
Unlike uniformed fallen, contractor sacrifices go largely unheralded. Flags don’t adorn coffins shipped homeward through Dover Air Force Base in solemn dignity. Most martyrs don’t qualify for engraved memorial Star plaques or patriotic obituaries. Bereaved families also battle bureaucracies seeking promised death benefits, sometimes for years. This dichotomy boosts a recurring sense of exploitation common across today’s veterans.
Still, alternatives remain sparse for those conditioned towards action. As private military contracting continues expanding in scope, understanding tradeoffs helps inform life-altering decisions to sign years away risking one’s life overseas.
Building a Background to Get Hired & Survive Overseas
So what background best positions aspiring contractors for success? Beyond standard military training, according to contractor Benny Winslow, it’s “medals for serving in imminent danger pay zones.” This confirms willlingness towards confronting lethal threats.
Specialized certifications also help placement prospects. Contractors expected to defend installations must qualify with ubiquitous carbines like M4s and Glocks. Yearly testing across changing distances ensures reflexive precision instinct. As Winslow described: “You have to qualify doing different shoots, drawing from your holster, pop-up targets at 10 meters then backing up each year to 25, 75, 150, and 300 meter targets.”
Medical qualifications, intelligence analysis of regional terrorist networks, paramedic certification, law enforcement backgrounds, electrical expertise, aircraft maintenance, heavy machinery operation like crane vehicles, or construction including welding and HAVC – all lend niche skills making applicants more marketable.
However, often the bare minimum requirement is an up-to-date security clearance at the Secret or Top Secret/SCI level. Because clearances expensive for contractors themselves to initiate, companies strongly favor individuals with active or recently expired ones sponsored by the Department of Defense or an intelligence agency.
Winslow confirms authorized access qualifications carry lengthy spans enabling smooth transitions between public and private service: "Secret clearances last around 10 years. So it‘s switched on or switched off…It‘s good to go maybe not even using it, but it‘s ready to turn right back on when you need it." Meeting eligibility mandates dramatically improves placement.
But per company preferences, additional backgrounds add beneficial diversity. Passing the Defense Language Aptitude Battery exam and actually learning prevalent regional dialects makes contractors force multipliers during deployments amongst indigenous peoples. Mastering weapons platforms like long-range anti-material rifles or man-portable guided missile systems lend unique offensive skillsets.
Even routine experiences like qualifying Expert on M16/M4 carbines or pistol shooting sharpen combat capabilities applicable protecting installations. And cultural familiarity with countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine, Taiwan, or South Korea informs nuanced perspective when coordinating with local allies.
The Privatized Military Industry Attracts Praise & Controversy
Given its expansive scope wielding lethal capabilities abroad, the private military industry inevitability attracts controversy. Critics lambast enabling unaccountable mercenaries profiting from chaos in impoverished nations. Idealists argue magnificent sums expended on foreign interventions would better serve rebuilding America’s crumbling infrastructure, health care access deficiencies and social safety net gaps. Others highlight how reliance on private contractors erodes accountability traditionally embedded in public militaries like restricting torture or minimizing civilian casualties.
However, proponents counter how contractors fill vital roles keeping weary troops healthy, well-fed and supplied on sprawling bases. Their presence minimizing repetitive deployments straining families and morale. Contractors also deliver efficiencies from market-based compensation, enable innovative capabilities thanks to flexible hiring, and lend surge capacity when crises emerge. Their contributions can‘t be discounted.
Certainly, valid arguments abound on both sides. There are also calls for updated regulations ensuring ethical norms are upheld by contracted personnel wether supporting diplomatic functions or participating in kinetic operations. Until then, thousands continue serving alongside America’s forward projection of power – for patriotism, passion, and paychecks.
Landing an Overseas Contract in 2023
Curious how contemporary aspirants obtain deployment contracts? Here’s an expert guide:
- Get Social. Attend IDGA, ISOA or SDS conferences to interface contractors and venders in person. Or peruse alumni pages from top training centers like Tier 1 Group, Unity Resources Group or Constellis. Facebook hosts well-attended Digital Nomad groups where vets share opportunities.
- Highlight Relevant Experiences. TAILOR resumes to specific regions, skills or attributes sought by firms on priority list. Awards, training certificates, leadership and character references bridge gaps transitioning from service. Spotlight unique languages spoken or niche technical abilities prized internationally.
- Search Hidden Job Boards. Contracting recruitment differs vastly from civilian HR. Many firms don’t advertise openly. Get introduced to members-only sites like Shooter Jobs, MilCode, and Cleared Connections revealing unlisted overseas gigs.
- Consider Logistics Companies. Little known names like Lockheed Martin, Fluor, and KBR offer pathways through early contractor roles stateside that translate into overseas opportunity. Also research emerging markets like Africa, Middle East, and South Asia as regions ramp up.
- Master Shooting & Get Fit. Contractors fail fitness tests constantly, as requirements often exceed military standards. Crossfit, boxing, wrestling and MMA training sculpt functional strength while improving weapons handling under duress. And consistently qualify expert shooting timed pistol, carbine and long-range rifle courses.
- Update Clearances. Transferring clearances or passing fresh background investigations proves mandatory. Confirm credentials electronically through Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency portal or initiate new Secret/Top Secret submissions 6+ months in advance.
Remember, contractor networks value proven performance under pressure far above cursory qualification checks. Highlighting previous deployments to locales like Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Kenya or Libya helps dramatically. If lacking opportunity thus far, research paths offering entry-level exposure to destabilized countries through aid organizations to demonstrate field readiness on public record. Soon with dedication, a six-figure paycheck awaits escorting diplomats across Far East Asia or standing perimeter watch nightly securing remote CIA outposts!
Conclusion: Excitement, Purpose & Peril for Modern Warriors
The option to continue supporting national security objectives through private military contracting holds tremendous appeal for veterans seeking purpose, camaraderie and substantial compensation. As operational commitments declined in traditional hotspots like the Middle East, contractors shifted towards rising priorities like great powercompetition with Russia and China, protecting American diplomatic facilities worldwide, enabling stability for emerging democracies like Ukraine, guarding supply chains from piracy along African coasts and training allied militaries across conflict-ridden landscapes.
With breadth of crises spanning the globe, opportunities endure for qualified operators and support personnel alike to leverage specialized skills. Contractors now mentor indigenous forces battling insurgencies, launch drones scanning vast deserts for infiltrators, escort diplomats safely through riots and civil wars, secure pipelines traversing terrorist badlands, install communications architecture across austere environments, maintain complex weapons systems through harsh terrain, and so much more.
However, theseOperational commitments declined in traditional hotspots like the Middle East., contractiong roles necessitate willingness to risk life and limb thousands of miles from familiar support networks. Not everyone capable can readily embrace months deprived of family contact and punctuated by attacks at a moment’s notice For those able to thrive, immense rewards exist. But candid assessment before signing indefinite years away remains essential given the accompanying physical, emotional and moral costs..
Amongst the cacophony of think tank policy scribblings, academic theoretics and superficial cable news coverage, genuine understanding of contemporary wartime contracting proves scarce. This insider perspective helps inform those contemplating life-altering career leaps. Our era’s predominance of shadowy contingency operations enables well compensated opportunity for battle-tested patriots overseas – yet excessive reliance risks lasting unintended consequences as well.