My Friend Just Got Offered 290k To Work In Iraq – Would You?

Well, I might do it for the fun of going to a foreign country, especially if it was a job that I essentially already do. But not many women or non-Americans are going to get contracts in Iraq. $290k is a lot of money, it basically implies that either the job is hard or that the conditions are rubbish. I think that if you didn’t get to experience any of the local society it would lose it’s appeal for me, naturally I’d prefer to avoid kidnapping and the like, particularly as I know that the British government never negotiates.

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Heck no! My brother-in-law just got offered the same thing. He is a petroleum engineer for Shell. Dude, he would prefer the lesser amount and stay with his family and friends without the risk of meeting the reaper!

Tony,
Moolahblog.com
Drop12.com

Man… what a tough scenario……. it’d be hard to leave my wife for that long.

Good post Hank.

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I’m not married, so that part doesn’t factor into the equation for me, but for $290K I would go to Iraq for a year in a heart beat. It’s probably not taxed either since you’re in a war zone. 1 year of s*** which will help immensely for the rest of your life. If I were 40 and with no savings I would take the job even quicker! Does he want to work until he dies of old age?

My family is the most important thing in the world to me. I would never intentionally put myself in danger for money (or anything else for that matter). You only get one life (on earth that is) – I say live life, glorify God in all you do, and let money fall where it may!

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@Plonkee – the “never negotiate” clause might be enough to make me think long and hard about it. I like the cash, but also like the idea that I have someone to back me in case. However, I do understand their stance as well and can see that side of the coin also.

@Money Intellect – I’ve known a handful of folks that have gone over and back as well. It really does have a lot to do with your relationship. I don’t see my family being as accepting even if the money was right; I do applaud your bravery. It’s a good point about the cities that have trouble as well, but I can assure you that you won’t find most people there at night.

@Tony – Amazing what they’re offering, eh?

@danandmarsh – I also was raised on far less than that amount. It’s amazing the cost of living differences (mainly housing) that sticks it to you in the big city. He’s got a 60 mile drive each way to work as well, so the 120 mile round trip even with the commuter van he rides eats up 2.5 hours a day at minimum. It’s hard to find 60k doing the same thing in a lower cost of living area though.

@Kevin – thanks for the comment, indeed tough.

@Jesse – Absolutely a different scenario. I had the same idea back in 2003 – when my first child was on the way it really does muddy the waters on what you WANT to do and what you SHOULD be doing. Who’s right? In the eye of the beholder I reckon…

@Andrew – I applaud your bravery as well! Yes, 290k is likely not taxed and you’ve probably got all the room/board over there paid for so it is likely in your pocket $ as well (as long as you have a pocket to put it in when/if you return)!

@Vered – There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s a free country after all.

@Dusty – It’s a hard road to tow for sure and that’s part of the exercise I was trying to put myself through. IS there any number? A million? A billion? It’s tough to say until you’re actually put in that position.

@Sandy – Thanks for stopping by – I agree that he should look at maximizing the $ that he has, maybe look for work closer to home, put his time and money to better use, but again, it’s a scenario that I wouldn’t have a solid answer to unless I were faced with it.

It wouldn’t be worth it to me. I can make more money, not more time.

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290K not taxed? Sign me up.

No seriously, send me an e-mail. I’d go in a heartbeat.

No kids, no wife, and I love my country. and IT.

Interested in Seattle ~

DebtKid

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TEdwards – I totally agree.

One issue to consider even if you are single, is the effect on your parents. As someone who lost a sibling who was at the age of 37, I know what my parents went through and that is the worst pain in the world – the loss of a child – even an adult child.

A co-worker’s husband recently returned from a one year contract in Iraq. While it was tough on them, he had two 10 day visits home in that year. He made great money, spoke with his wife at least once every day on cell phones, and had access to email, web cams, and other means of communications with his wife and children.

He even had a MySpace page where he posted updates and pictures. Was the job scary? Yes. But, it’s not like he falls of the face of the earth for a year.

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A friend of mine left the NYPD to go to Iraq (’04) to help train their police. His first three years was teaching basic police tactics but now teaches crime scene investigation in a class room. It’s all class room work and he works in a very secure area. He tells me it’s like working on a US military base in Germany or Japan. All earning are completely tax free.
His salary was / is…
Year 1 = $185,000
Year 2 = $225,000
Year 3 = $275,000
Year 4 and current year pay = $315,000
Year 5 if he chooses to renew = $380,000
He’s 44 years old and not married. He will renew for Year 5 and hopes to get a Year 6 offer for probably mid $400s. All his living expenses are paid for over there so 99% of what he makes goes into savings. At the end of year 5 he’ll have made almost $1.4 Million.

@Momma – Agreed, but I feel it is a tolerance that people are born with and very difficult to actually have to learn.

@Aaron – Rumor has it that Uncle Sam doesn’t skim off the top of Iraq service salaries, but I applaud your bravery!

@Ryan – Wow! That’s absolutely staggering to think of that kind of $ that can be made there – but it IS tough and dangerous and it’s good to see they’re rewarding people for putting their lives on the line!

@Zombie – I believe there are plenty of ways to inquire about work there for you and your buddies – one I came across was: http://www.civiliancontractorjobs.com/ – Sounds dangerous, but I applaud your bravery!

Woow, that is a tough call. If I were in his shoes, 38, no retirement, 3 kids and making $60,000 I would go. But in my shoes, nope! I am young, I am still at school and I have time to save the money.

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Definitely a difficult call and I feel for anyone making that tough of a decision. As for me, I can’t say any salary is worth dying for, no matter how much I was offered. Yet, I’m not in his situation.

If Hank’s potential job doesn’t involve entering a combat unit, I could see some small justification for going.

Either way, best of luck and let us know what you decide.

If you dont go I will go in your place no problem

I’m in Afghanistan, for less where can I apply for this job at!!

It is a hard thing to do but I would do it if I were given the chance. My daugther went and is now back and set for life. It is very hard to stay away for a year. But it can be done. And well worth the effort.
We have no promise of tomorrow no matter where we are. If someone feels good about doing something then they should do it.

Don’t be such a wuss. It is not that bad over there especially for US civilians. I’ve been there before and I’m going again next month with a wife and 2 kids. And I’m going for less than 290K. If I was offered 290K, I’d be over there for 5 years straight without coming home to see the family.

If he doesn’t want to go I will. I am a father of seven and the cost of raising them through college is larger than most can even imagine. My family is behind me 100% so sign me up! It is a family decision not one to be made by one person.

So Hank, what does your FAMILY say?

If you want I will even go with you to help assist you in your promise to return home in a year.

Jim

He drives 120 miles a day to go to work? For all the people worried about safety in Iraq, I’ll point out that there is a fair amount of risk exposure in that kind of commute. More people die every year on the highway in my state, than Americans have died in Iraq of all causes since the invasion.

The issue to me is entirely a question of valuing priorities, which is an intensely personal decision. I wouldn’t take a job that had me commuting for 2 1/2 hours a day. That’s more than 25% of the time I actually am on the clock. 5 years of commuting and you’ve been away from home about the same amount of time you would be gone with a year of foreign service (not counting time sleeping).

Thinking about it, he’s home much more if he takes the one year overseas assignment, then takes the next 4 years off and stays at home with the family. The money works out about the same over the 5 year period.

My husband is over seas on a contract job right now. We had a big decision to make because just like you things got really bad and we were barely making ends meet. We have paid off all our debts and cars. We actually have savings. It’s hard without him here. I do everything by myself and I have a 19 month year old which I have been raising on my own for almost a year. I have been so busy that time has really gone by quite fast. My husband on the other hand is miserable because he misses us very much. He has been in the military before so he was prepared. He has almost been shot twice. Although you are putting yourself in danger, I believe when it’s your time, its your time. There is nothing you can do about it. Its a sacrifice we had to make for our family. But, now my husband is getting much better job offers and he is worth so much more. Its a year sacrifice. We have knocked off years of worries and we have built a future for ourselves. Everything in life requires some sacrifice. And as long as you go into this with good intentions then I think you have alot to think about. Good Luck! Wish you the best.

Where do I apply?

If you’re going is just for the money and nothing else aside from the fact what the money can buy or do I would definitely not advise you to go.

I was in the service of my country for six years in the military and many times during this period had been in place in situations where I could have lost my limbs or at worst my life all for a few hundred dollars a month. My thinking was I’ll get out of the military and find one of those jobs working for the government where I can make plenty of money for the opportunity to be in the same danger of life and limb situation. I tried to get one of those big moneymaking jobs, but I had no luck, but I know people who did have the opportunity to make the big money and all the ones I knew it did not do them much good some of them ended up in divorce after their wives spent all their money while they were away. Some picked up bad habits and lost their money. Habits such as gambling alcoholism and drug addiction.

I would have no objections to going,but for the money to be the reason it is not worth going to Iraq. My experience in life has been that money is easy to make, and it’s easy to go.

Stay in the US!!

Money is great, but even better is being physically there for your kids in the morning. That you cannot put a price tag on. Money comes and goes, this isnt the only option and not the best at that. If it was a popular choice the salary wouldnt be what it is. Its that number, 290k, for a reason, because without it, you wont do it… sitting at your kids afterschool activities you will never have the thought ” I wish I was in Iraq” sitting in Iraq looking into a web cam you’ll wish “I just wanna be there for 5 minutes” – time is the real money, its not 290k, its a year in the life of your family, keep the value where it should be.

I’m in the army and I’ve spent a year in Iraq allready. I think given the option this guy has and knowing what I know from first hand experience, I would do it. An IT contractor is probubly NOT going to find himself in dangerous situations at all. He’s going to be inside the wire for the entire year. Anytime he leaves the wire it will probubly be in a helicopter, or at least in a heavily armored vehicle with a gun truck escort. I doubt his living conditions will be all that bad either. He’s probubly going to work ALOT, but for 290k what do you expect? I think he should do it. If he’s smart with that money he can set himself up for the rest of his life. The one year is a big sacrifice but it would be worth it I think

For $290,000 per year, it sounds like dangererous work in the streets of Iraq. Things have calmed down quiet a bit there since the surge; however, make no mistake it only takes one wrong second in one wrong place. It you are working on a Forward Operating Base (FOB) and not “required” to travel or work outside the FOB into the unknow streets of Iraq, chances are you will be ok. Yet even on the FOB they do get missle, mortar and small arms attacks regularly, men and women have died even without leaving the FOB. (PTSD) Post Tramatic Stress Disorder (google and research, it will hit you one way or another), is not only military, it affects anyone who works in a life threatening area for so long. There are a lot of contractors making a lot of money in that country, but keep in mind you will put in roughly double time every week (burn out quickly). Most contractors I have met over there work 12 hour, seven days a week (minimum) with no break insight until they reach the point of thier vacation which goes extremely quick. Figure 145,000 a year, you will work that many hours, (2 years rolled into 1). Taxes, I believe is 70,000 before they start taxing you, some contractors due pay taxes on every penny they make over there (research contract). Being over there myself for a total of 27 months, marital separation is the worse, danger is second with living conditions ranking up there. Calling is expensive, messenger is free with internet access, question is will you have that. It comes down to a personal and family decision (you will never make it without the support of your family), review your offer and ensure you know all the details of what they expect of you. Money is great but is it truely worth it to you and your family to endure the hardship of separation and the danger of losing your life. Being military myself and had my time over there; as a civilian, I would jump on it only if I was certain I would stay on a FOB. Working off that FOB you will probably find yourself in a situation where the US military is not there to protect you not to mention the deadly road side bombs.
Sincerely Chief Warrant Officer William Moore, US Army

Men and Women are serving in Irag and Afghanistan for no compensation.
A position for 300 K plus in the United States is rare unless a Surgeon/Lawyer/CEO/Media etc.
Either take the position or don’t! I consider you to be blessed by being offered such a high paying position to do key management responsibilites.
This is not a difficult decison, if you have a supportive family. In one year you will be able to provide for your children’s future the way that you would like to do.

You “do don’t do it” people citing family breakdowns (my word for what I see written) kill me. I’ll wager it’s no different than a sailor on a 7-8 month deployment, with a few extra months added in, never mind the career sailor that nearly every year leaves his family to deploy overseas!

I see no difference between a career sailor & these 1 year “deployments’, really, aside from the extra money.

And ALL of Irag isn’t “hot”, Just like all of DC, LA, NYC, etc, aren’t “hot” & riddled with crime.

I’d go in a minute married or not, family or not if it was indeed tax free or mostly tax free. You’d have to do the match to make sure financially your ALLOT better of than working in the US of A for that same year.

I’m also sure the Gov’t isn’t going to “recruit” people to go over “there” & leave them unprotected!

I’m an American and served my country in the United States Air Force for just over 6 years. I’ve been a civilian for 3 years now, and have spent the overwhelming majority of it working in the Middle East for 4 times my stateside salary. I have a new full-size truck paid for, I have a boat paid for, I have a 2nd mortgage paid for, and I have investments such as IRA’s and a company-matched 401(k).

Sounds great doesn’t it? Well, I’m not happy. I work 84-92 hours EVERY week (barring 1, 3 week vacation each year), which means I work 7 days per week. That means I have very little time for MY INTERESTS. Also, I’m over 7,000 miles from my girlfriend, my brother, and almost that far from my parents…so I get to see everyone once a year…whoop-tee-doo.

I have less than 40 days left here, and no matter where I end up, my girlfriend WILL be with me, at least initially. I say initially because, I can only hope that I haven’t become the cynical person on the outside, that I feel on the inside. I’ve lost my zest for life because I have no life (here) outside of work.

I made some bad financial decisions (buying a truck I couldn’t afford, buying a condo I couldn’t afford, etc) because I valued the opinion of people that didn’t have my best interests in mind. As a result, I’ve significantly lowered my number of close friends, and have promised myself that I have and will continue to learn from my mistakes.

I have been offered $400k for a year in Iraq, and responded by saying, “I wish you the best of luck on finding your candidate”. Fact is, money cannot buy happiness. I thought it could. I learned otherwise.

In less than 40 days, I will be holding my girlfriend when she goes to sleep at night, and I will be the first person she sees when she wakes up with her beautiful, sleepy smile. Money can’t buy that folks…

Do it. Do it. Do it.
Is it really that dangerous over there? If you look at the stats, it’s probably more dangerous to drive around at 1am on a Friday or Saturday night in the U.S.
You have to find out where exactly you’d be going and how dangerous that area is. It’s not just about “helping your country” it’s also about helping the Iraqis too.
Anyway, it’s an IT job…”If you’re not required to carry a gun, odds are you’ll have no reason to need a gun.” ergo, it’s probably a safe area.
A guy also has to look at his own life experiences. How cool it would be to experience a whole different world and culture. It’s only a year. The man’s 38 years old – how much has he really done with his life? Sure he has a wife and 3 kids, but you do what you gotta do. With the amount of technology these days, I’m sure he could talk to his family every night. I have about 35 friends in Iraq in the various military services and I talk to them more than I talk to my own neighbors. They love it over there. I play XBOX 360 against some of them (that means they have an XBOX over there, I have one in my living room, and we play each other).
For 290k? That’s FIVE YEARS OF INCOME. In this volatile economy…that’s a pretty sweet deal. Who cares about the money. Life is about the experiences. The money we make along the way is just a bonus. Assuming communication can be almost daily, the family will get by. If there’s 200k troops in Iraq plus those in Afghanistan, plus all the other places in the world we have troops, I’d say if all those families get through, you’ll get through it. You’re not going to miss you kid’s birth, first word, first step, first day of school, or any graduations.
Do it. Do it. Do it.

You better look again, if you worked 18 hours a day here. What would your pay be? Maybe 16 a day. I do not think they are offering enough.

What other jobs are available over seas. It would be very tempting. I say go for it as long as you believe your marriage is strong.

Run the Numbers first….Let me walk you thru this…

Only the first $80K is tax free….so the other $210K is taxed just like everybody else. Assume 30% tax rate or $63K off the top. So he’s making after taxes $147K + $80K = $227K. Room and board is provided. He may also get some per diem on top of his salary but will leave that out. It’s just gravy anyways.

He’s working 12-16 hours a day, 7 days a week, so in reality they are getting 2 years out of him over there. So he’s making about $113K per year. Take $113K and divide it by 2688 hours ( 8 hrs a day x 7 days a week x 48 weeks a year (4 weeks vacation).
In actuality, he’s making about $42 per hour. Add in the intangibles such as risk of death, away from family, less than stellar conditions, etc and you have to ask yourself…..Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze?
For some it is, but you have very few peoples signing up for a second tour.
My situation was similar except I was paid $260K in 2004.

I can appreatiate all of the input, BUT for me this is a fall down on yours knees a talk to GOD. Even if you are not a spiritual person speak to God and I beleive your answer will come i time. If you don’t have the luxury of time them don’t. This is not an overnite decision. Good luck I know that you will do the right thing.

I am a DoD contractor working in Kuwait / Iraq, obviously I would take the job… I already have. I have been working over in the southwest Asia /Middle East for the last four years. I understand that you have a family but just because you are signing a year contract does not mean that you will have to go a whole year without seeing them. I get 4 weeks off a year which I strategically place so I don’t miss too many big events back home. I would also recommend that you take some time to speak with people who have been or are currently working in Iraq. Things really have gotten better. The money is great and will have huge benefits for you down the road if you are even remotely smart with your money. Most people are terrified of going to Iraq because they are terrified of the unknown.

Well, if you pay taxes, then you are contributing to the all mighty, all powerful “US war machine”…
…fool

Why would you want to be part of murder and treason?

A mugger points a gun at Jack Benny, and demands, “Your money or your life?”
Silence.
The mugger says, “Well?”
Jack says, “I’m thinking about it.”

A mugger points a gun at Jack Benny, and demands, “Your money or your life?”
Jack responds, “My life, of course! I need my money for my old age!”

Those of you under 30 (40?) may not get the above, but never mind.

Hank: Great post! Thanks.

Obviously this is a very personal decision, and there are a huge number of factors to be considered, many of which have been addressed thoroughly and well (from both sides) in these comments, and a few of which have not.

As an IT worker, likely confined to the Green Zone or an FOB and working 12/7, I suspect the physical safety risk would be minimal – maybe not much worse than two hours a day on the freeway. On the other hand, this negates any potential benefits of seeing the world, experiencing another culture, etc., as he will likely never get off the base. I agree with other commenters that daily audio and video communication with his family can and should be a given.

The impact on his mental and emotional health (and thus ultimately his physical health), however, may be severe. I think you can put up with a lot of stress at work if you know that at the end of the day you can go home to spend time with people you love, and to activities and interests you enjoy. What I think he should expect if he goes to Iraq is a dramatic increase in both the level and duration of stress he experiences, combined with a dramatic reduction in the opportunities for him to find relief from that stress. I would strongly recommend against going if he has any history of difficulty dealing with stress, or of addiction or substance abuse, depression or other mental/emotional health issues, or heart problems. Even if he is physically and emotionally healthy, he should have a stress management plan worked out before he goes.

I think a key factor which hasn’t been adequately addressed in the preceding comments – probably because we don’t have any information about it – is the nature of his relationships with his wife and kids.

Who is he to his kids? Is he the guy they go to when they have a problem, the guy who gives them understanding, support, encouragement, guidance, and, when necessary, discipline? Is he a guy they can talk with, hang out with, share activities and experiences with? Or is he just the guy who pays the bills and sometimes shows up at the dinner table? If it’s the latter, he can pay the bills from any office, whether that office is in the den, in downtown Seattle, or in Iraq. If it’s the former, his contributions in those other areas may be more important for his kids’ long-term well-being than any financial contribution.

You can substitute “wife” for “kids” for all of the above paragraph, except for the “discipline” part, and maybe substituting “help” for “guidance”.

Your description of his wife’s position – strongly against – leads me to believe that she views his contribution to the family as much more than financial. (Although if her objection is mainly based on the physical safety risk, I suspect that risk is greatly exaggerated in her mind.) I’d be interested to know what his kids think (if they’ve been told about it); they’re old enough to have a voice in this too.

Regardless of the nature of the relationship, I do agree that a long-term, long-distance separation is a major risk for any relationship; you never know what will happen. I think the risk is even greater when the separation involves a lot of stress. I wrote above about the increased stress he will have to deal with, but his wife will no doubt feel a marked increase in stress also, both from his absence and from the responsibility of running the household without him. (Further increased, of course, if she is worried about his safety.) It should come as no surprise that one of the most effective stress relievers is sex; the combination of loneliness and unrelieved stress has led many people to do things they never thought they would. (There’s a reason hookers hang out around army bases.) But even in the absence of adultery, stress can trigger many other relationship-threatening phenomena, such as substance abuse, mental or physical illness, or even violence. Noone knows how they will react to extreme or prolonged stress until they are subjected to it.

Going to Iraq over his wife’s objections would just add that much more “relationship risk”. He may see it as providing for his family’s future, but his wife (and kids) may see it as abandonment. He may want that $290K to send his kids to college, but if it results in the breakdown of the family unit, he may end up spending it on counselling, rehab programs and legal fees instead. (Kids aren’t immune to stress, and short of a direct threat to their life, family breakup is about the most stressful thing that can happen to them.)

I am concerned that your friend’s recent financial disaster – losing his retirement savings – is distorting his perspective on this issue. You said, “One year there and he could be back to what he lost.” If he had never had it in the first place, would he feel the same way? If he had had zero savings five years ago, zero savings two years ago, and zero savings now, would he feel a sudden, urgent
need to go to Iraq for $290K? What’s past is past; the future is a clean slate. “He is 38 years old and has nothing to show for it.” Not true; he has a wife, three kids, marketable skills and experience, and hopefully some sense of values that extends beyond his bank account. But in any case, he is where he is. What’s important is charting the best way forward from here; how he got here is relevant only insofar as it illuminates the way forward.

I say this in part because I think there may be more going on here than money. If he sees his main mission in life as financially providing for his family’s present and future needs – as many men do – then he may feel the loss of his savings as a personal failure (even though it was apparently due to events beyond his control). He may see this job in Iraq as a chance to “correct” his “failure”, and restore his wounded pride. He may feel the need to “prove” to his family (and himself) that he really isn’t a failure after all. His desire to go to Iraq may have as much to do with his need for redemption and self-respect as with the real needs of his family. It is important that he not let his own needs and emotional state blind him to what is truly best for the future of all concerned.

I agree with other commenters that it is possible (though not easy) to run a household and raise happy, healthy kids on $60K a year. His kids would certainly be neither the first nor the last to have to work to pay for their college education; many who have done so regard it as a valuable experience. As for retirement, if your kids feel that you were always there for them, then they will be there for you when you need them. If they feel you weren’t there for them, they won’t be there for you. Which retirement would you rather have: one which is financially comfortable, but where your kids bleed you for money and only visit (grudgingly) on holidays? Or one which is financially meager, but where your kids are there for you every day and happily attend to your needs? The former is what you’ll get if you support your kids financially but not emotionally; the latter is what you’ll get by giving them your time, your attention, your care and concern, and your active presence and interest in their lives.

My bottom line is this: a happy, healthy, loving family, and the time and good health to enjoy them, are worth more than any amount of money. If he has those things now, and can continue to have them at $60Kpa, he should count his blessings and not risk them all by going to Iraq.

If, on the other hand, his marriage is strained, his relationships with his kids distant, if he really is “just the guy who pays the bills”, then maybe Iraq is where he should be. If his only significant contribution to the family is going to be financial, he might as well maximize it. Of course, if the marriage is already in trouble, leaving for a year against his wife’s wishes isn’t going to help; but in that case I would also question whether her objection to his going is partly due to trust issues. Maybe she doesn’t trust that he’ll be faithful, or that he’ll ever come back to her – or maybe she doesn’t trust herself. Maybe she’s afraid that she’ll actually feel glad he’s gone. But a trial separation, as it were, can be a good thing; maybe they will discover they really are better off apart – or maybe they will rediscover what brought them together in the first place. The impact on the kids will be much less if he hasn’t been an integral part of their lives up to now.

Of course, I recognize that few if any people will completely match these caricatures; the “superdad/husband” or “just the guy who pays the bills.” Most people, your friend no doubt included, will fall somewhere in between. It’s up to your friend to evaluate what he’s risking, how high the risk, and whether the reward is worth that risk. I would caution that men generally overestimate the value of their financial contribution, and underestimate the value of the other stuff. I would suggest that if he’s generally happy with his life other than his financial situation, he should try to find a way to live with the financial situation rather than putting everything else at risk.

There’s probably a very good reason the job pays so well. If you need the cash and can accept the risk AND mitigate the risks by getting a truckload of life insurance, then go for it.

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I have been considering this same situation you discuss. I have friends working in Iraq and have highly recommended it. I currently have a programming job where I sit at home and write code for about $80k, a wife, and 3 kids (2 at home).

With a mortgage, car notes, credit cards, with things not looking like there is any light at the end of the tunnel, I am investigating these opportunities heavily. I am able to deal with just about any living conditions, and am heavily experienced in IT, telecom, datacomm, and engineering.

My wife and I have agreed that this would be a worthwhile adventure, and in regards to my parents, my father is interested in doing this as well. He is in a position to make far more than me, and we both are good at “roughing it.”

I loved finding your blog to get some insight on the situation and get a lot of peoples views, I hope it gives me some food for thought.

Thanks!
Jim

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@Hank – I am fluent in ASP, C#, Perl, PHP, TCL, VB, C++ and others, but I typically write in TCL or XO-TCL

Jim’s last blog post..Why digital media is NOT the wave of the future.

Interesting dilemma. 290K may sound like a lot of money, but it is only about 200K after taxes. This is a very important calculation to think about. If I were in his shoes, I’d do it in a heart beat. It’s not like he’s roaming the fields in harms way.

The jump from 60K to 290K is just too great to ignore. The way to think about it is that 290K equals 5 years of work at 60K. Any spread greater than 2 years is worth it in my opinion, especially if 290K is NOT guaranteed for years on out.

Financial Samurai

I’m confused why they need IT contractors in the hot zone over there; they have ex-pilots flying unmanned drones in Afghanistan and Iraq from Las Vegas. Can’t they do IT from the states or even Kuwait or something, outside the hot zone? There have certainly been plenty of contractor fatalities in Iraq, but I question what sort of peril he’ll be in outside the transport in/out. Has he had an opportunity to weigh these factors? Without more info in hand it would be tough to say yes or no, but if the guy’s gonna be hangin’ in the green zone punchin keys, maybe not a bad deal for a year or two.

Definitely not. He would leave his family and miss a year of his children growing up. $60k/year is pretty good.

I think it all depends on how much the money means to you for you to take the risk. If say I need it desperately to pay debts or to save someone then I would do it.

i think it is just money..

what is important are the moments with your family…
.-= Jobs in Iraq´s last blog ..Getting a High Paying Job in Iraq Or Afghanistan Making $4000+ a Week =-.

It all boils down to how important money is to you. I don’t think the war is that great so I would put my family first.

I admit, I have not been on this webpage in a long time… however it was an additional pleasure to see It is this kind of an essential topic and ignored by so numerous, even professionals. I thank you to help making individuals a lot more conscious of possible issueGreat stuff as typical…

No way I would go. At one time maybe I would be thinking of my country and how proud my dad would be. But now, there’s no idealism left and I’ve not enough confidence in politicians to sacrifice my life and my family’s wellbeing.

As for money, it’s not enough.

That is a very tempting offer. For a while there, we considered it…my husband got laid off, I lost my work, and we have 5 kids. Someone offered him a construction position over in Iraq; we discussed it, and it may have been our only option at that time, but luckily I found work here, so we didn't have to send him to a warzone.

Yeah, my dad is over in Afghanistan as a i.t. tech and he loves it. I guess it depends on the person. Now he's helping me get over there with a job and i'm only 24 and I dont have kids or a wife so the benefits would be great for me. On the other hand, the risk is a little scary but with my dad working there, AND my step mom, I'll be able to have family near. Easy way to become an millionaire possibly but does have 2 cons per pro in this situation for your friend.

It would be a hard decision to leave your family and friends for an extended period of time, but then the money is very desirable. It honestly would take me many months to decide if I could take such a job.

Please reconsider if you are thinking of going to Iraq for a contractor.  My son is retired Air Force, and has been to Iraq 5 times since he retired as a contractor.  However it is at this point, that he says he will NOT go back.  He says he is willing to go to Afghanistan, but no way he will return to Iraq.  The draw is makign it too dangerous to be a contractor there. 

Contractors will have no protections from the U.S. government.  This is why the negotations broke down,and the decisions was made to pull ALL military out.  We were willing to leave trainers, but the Iraqis refused to give them protections.  So you can only imagine what it would be like as a civilian.  I am including a link which will give you a lot of information on being a contractor.  Some of it will disturb you.  I say educate yoruself, before you make any decisions.  Forewarned is forearmed. 

AIG « Overseas Civilian Contractors