Highly considering going to work in Afghanistan

I knew a guy that went there working construction i know thats different than driving a truck .He was there 3 weeks and pulled the pin he said the money n all sounds great but what good is the money if your not around to enjoy it.Those people over there have been fighting and killing for 1000s 0f years thats all they know human life means nothing to them..

 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Jk2sIp5MRQ&feature=related[/ame]

 

I saw a video of a contract driver pinned down in an ambush. I'm no Rambo, but I wouldn't even consider it if I couldn't be armed.

You can make real good money right out of the gate in Texas if you follow this guys lead:
http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...s/154699-im-stone-cold-rookie-gonna-work.html

If I'm not mistaken, Texas doesn't have personal income tax so that is a savings. And when you figure in the risk/reward of a war zone job I would think federal taxes would be marginal. Plus you can be working the oilfields in a week or two.

 

Yes, if you are willing to relocate to someplace a little less comfortable than your current location I'd say oil/gas related work in PA/NY, TX/OK, or ND. At least in those places everybody speaks English (mostly) and nobody is trying to kill you (on purpose).

 

I spent 3 years in Iraq and Afghanistan as a contractor.

I can't answer your question without more information, namely what sort of job are you looking for? Truck driver? Security? Something else? The safety of the job depends completely on what you will be doing and where you will be.

I can answer anything you like here or in private, your choice.

 

You can practically get hired on the spot in Midland/Odessa.

 

I pmd you dude, look forward to talking to you.

For everyone else, here are a few points.

First, the videos you saw are almost certainly from the early days (2004,2005) of Iraq. Totally different than Afghanistan, totally different.

Second, unless you are a member of the Military or a Government SECURITY contractor with training, weapons authorization, and a bunch of other t's crossed and I's dotted, you CAN NOT HAVE A WEAPON. It sucks but thats the way it is, you are an unarmed contractor.

Third, the single biggest threat to 99.99% of people in Iraq and Afghanistan are IED's. Iraq was absolutely awful and Afghanistan is getting to be almost as bad. You can't shoot them away or see them coming really, it is a game of chance. You can be driving along and in a split second you are blown up and either dead or worse, you have no legs or your brain is scrambled from the overpressure.

Having a gun won't help you at all really, especially a handgun or even 5.56 M4.

I am not sure how many driving jobs there are in Afghanistan, I know that KBR had alot of drivers in Iraq years ago, but in Affghanistan it is a different dynamic and I don't see ANY US truck drivers over there, I was there from 2009 to 20210.

I will look around for some info though to be sure. As far as the money, most Security gigs these days are paying about $90k to $130k per year, so I doubt truck driving jobs will pay much more than $60k to $90k per year. Only you know if that is worth it for you.

As far as the tax free status goes, yes the first +-$92k per year is tax free AS LONG AS YOU STAY OUT OF THE US FOR 330 DAYS THAT YEAR. To qualify for the tax free money you will only be home about 35 days, plus or minus.

It is a nasty place guys, really nasty. If you can get a gig on a US base and never leave the base, yeah it is worth it, but if you need to be out in the country, especially Kandahar or Helmand province, there is risk there, no doubt.

 

JackMac is spot on about pay and job prospects, Most of the drivers here in Iraq are TCNs and Lns. KBR has only a few Expat Big Rig drivers and they are doing other work and not out on the road.

On the Tax thing
"As far as the tax free status goes, yes the first +-$92k per year is tax free AS LONG AS YOU STAY OUT OF THE US FOR 330 DAYS THAT YEAR. To qualify for the tax free money you will only be home about 35 days, plus or minus."
It's 330 day in any concurent 360 day time frame. (March 2010 to March 2011) as an exp.

IMHO, you would be better working in the states then over here.

good Luck

 

A quick thought on this, insurgents attacked a fuel convoy in Afghanistan today, destroyed 20 trucks and killed the drivers.

I have a friend who did contract work for KBR in Iraq and then spent 4 mos. in Afghanistan as a contract driver. Did he makes his $100K tax free, yes. Would he do it again, not for all the money in the world.

He was provided a flak jacket and 1st gen. k-pot for protection. Three months in, his father sent him a level III-A vest and kevlar helmet, the company also sent him home. Another driver did acquire a 9mm from somewhere while in Iraq, he had it for 2 mos. before they found it. His contract was terminated on the spot and he was sent home.