Private security work in Iraq

[Boxingmad]

Just found an interesting article on the web regarding private security work in Iraq. Whilst it is a lucrative way of earning money, there also seems to be an alrming number of "cowboys" walking the streets out there.

Hope it's useful.

www.corporatewatch.org.uk/news/mercenary.htm

[Boxingmad]

Sorry, the link seems to be down. If I find it, I'll post it again.

[Boxingmad]

Yeah, that one's gone, but here's a more interesting one on the Army allegedly offering 1 year sabbaticals to go and earn some money out there on condition that they come back to carry on serving.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... irq123.xml

[Tab]

When I was with 1 Para at Dover a few weeks back there was quite a few of the lads leaving to join one of these security firms. They reckoned that they could earn in a week what doing this work what it would take them a month to earn in the Army. As they pointed out they would have the same people shooting at them as they had before except that they would earn a lot more money for it. Many of them where going out as teams and would work together as they had in the Army, they all knew each other and how they all worked. Many of the lads had been in the Army for over ten years and saw it a good way to get a bit of money behind them
for when they came back to civiy street. Some where planning on buying property others small businesses. Some of them planned to carry on out in Iraq till they where no longer required which could be a few years yet, also this money is tax free, well at moment it is.

[Artist]

TJD

They offered six grand to all Bootnecks who had applied for PVR to keep em in. Six Grand? Not a hope in hell. £300 a day is the norm according to an Oppo of mine whos been there 18 months. His Companies job is to Guard the USMC bases!?!

Artist

[goldie ex rmp]

Many ex RMP are also over in Iraq, in fact you will probably find most of good old Mr Harrods CP teams earning a few more quid in the sun, what we must all remember though and i keep telling myself this when offers come in from old CP mates is that you dont get all that money for nothing, if you go over and earn lots of money without getting hurt then fine but money is nothing when your sat with a sucking chest wound, i now work with an ex EOD who had mates who fly over to Bosnia etc to earn packets from playing with old bombs, some im sad to say are now in wheelchairs or missing limbs, you cant walk into Woolies and buy a new limb with all your money can you?.......just my thoughts on the subject and dont want to upset anyone

[stripey588]

each to there own goldie.

for some the idea of leaving the forces is a big shock, especially in todays world of "nothing is forever" job market.

for some the idea earning in a week what you woud earn in a month is a good idea, for others, like yourself, forward thinking has prevailed.

i suppose working for private security means the rules of engaement are different (just guessing).

i just wish all who serve over there return safely.

why are private firms guarding the americans anyway.

[bootneck]

Gotcha - thanks for that - who would want to guard a bunch of sceptics!!

Who`s septic?


the following link is for an American firm, who were paying a grand a day for security work in Iraq.

http://www.custerbattles.com

[Rover]

For background information,

http://www.ncciraq.org

click 'security' for some local updates.

Rover

[William]

What I'd like to know is if these companies are properly processing their applicants,especialy when it comes to background checks.
Also,how and where are they getting all the weapons,ammo and armoured vehicles they need to arm all these people? What kind of laws if any are in place to overlook this type of work?

This all seems good and fun aslong as your alive to receive your $1000 a day.

[Spooky]

manpower is or at least was at such short supply that one company sent out some door supervisors (with no previous military experience), who were in country about three days before they showed such unprofessional mannerisms (doormen cannot do effective CP without training -ever) that they were booted out.

all private CP bods out there need to be licensed by the PCA or their on their own -tourists if you like, who cannot carry a weapon.

when its said the bottom of the barrell was scraped looking for good CP people its untrue - the barrel was lifted up and dug under... every muppet 7 day cp trained lunatic who can get a contract is trying to get out there.

i also am aware of a cook who adjusted a pink book to make it look like he'd been in an infantry regiment and got out there but turns out he was never even in the army after he was sussed out by the team he was on.

weapons and ammunition are aquired in country - ranging from clapped out iraqi AKM's to some pretty decent russian AK variants. one guy i hear managed to get a hold of a gold plated MP5...

armoured vehicles and other vehicles are sourced elsewhere - anywhere they can be aquired by the peoples-companies who need them.


er... thats all i can think of right now.

[cosmo]

my mate whos in the marines says he is going to do contract work after he leaves the corps, he said its basically the same work, just alot better money.

[Spooky]

its by no means the same work cosmo - role is entirely different.

most significant - in iraq as a civvy your with the team your with - maybe a responce unit somewhere who can offer some support BUT - you dont have a resources or responce of the coalition.

military guys get hit and you get air support, casevacs, armour rolling up behind you.
as a civvy you patch your tires up and push the car outta the ditch its in after you drove off the road to avoid the ambush, then take any casulties off to be dealt with.

yeah the moneys better -but why do you think that is?