Anyone working a civilian contract job in Iraq?
12-07-2005, 04:08 AM
#21
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Is this 1099 work or W2 work?
I personally am apprehensive about going over. I have an offer to double my current salary, and it's not even an iraq job... yet, it's a job based at ft hood, but I would be the BCS3 butt head anytime whatever unit I am contracted to deploys.... and they are due to be rotated in soon.
Seems like a good gig, especially since they arent in Iraq yet, and I make really good money now. But I have worked closely with those guys in the past, and the last VP of the company caught a AK47 round in the forehead and died, and their lead tech guy got 5 Ak47 rounds.... it just doesnt seem worth it.
I personally am apprehensive about going over. I have an offer to double my current salary, and it's not even an iraq job... yet, it's a job based at ft hood, but I would be the BCS3 butt head anytime whatever unit I am contracted to deploys.... and they are due to be rotated in soon.
Seems like a good gig, especially since they arent in Iraq yet, and I make really good money now. But I have worked closely with those guys in the past, and the last VP of the company caught a AK47 round in the forehead and died, and their lead tech guy got 5 Ak47 rounds.... it just doesnt seem worth it.
12-07-2005, 11:39 AM
#22
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Originally Posted by 11 Bravo
I don't know if I'd want to work for Blackwater. They've don'e alot of fishy ****. As a matter of fact, I believe they have been kicked out of Iraq.
12-07-2005, 02:06 PM
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I'm here in Afghanistan... this is actually my 2nd time out here as a civilian. I won't say who I work for but it's not KBR. Nothing against them, just not my specialty. I don't carry a weapon while I'm on base here but at the FOB's and in transit is another story. By contract I'm not supposed to carry but my boss knows that contract stuff doesn't matter when you're outside the wire. Besides, someone has to sit behind the driver. 
As for pay... there are a lot of catches to it. For one, you have to be out of the US for 330 days (out of 365) to get the taxes back. I've never heard that you have to make over 100K to get the 80K tax free so I'll have to look into that. Either way, 70K tax free is close to 100K in the states, not a bad salery for most jobs. And Iraq wages don't differ that far from other places, especially when you compare the quality of life in Iraq to Afghanistan. For the "most" part, it's MUCH nicer in Iraq.
As for the motors and stuff, it's not as bad in "most" places as people assume. Sure, there are some area's that get shelled a lot, but you also don't find as many contractors in those area's.
And on the Blackwater thing... the "official" word was that they are no longer operating in Iraq, but we all know that doesn't mean anything. I wouldn't hesistate to work for them though, they do some damn good work.
If anyone has any specific questions about how things work out here just IM me... I've been around the theater quite a while and don't plan on going anywhere for a few more years.
As for pay... there are a lot of catches to it. For one, you have to be out of the US for 330 days (out of 365) to get the taxes back. I've never heard that you have to make over 100K to get the 80K tax free so I'll have to look into that. Either way, 70K tax free is close to 100K in the states, not a bad salery for most jobs. And Iraq wages don't differ that far from other places, especially when you compare the quality of life in Iraq to Afghanistan. For the "most" part, it's MUCH nicer in Iraq.
As for the motors and stuff, it's not as bad in "most" places as people assume. Sure, there are some area's that get shelled a lot, but you also don't find as many contractors in those area's.
And on the Blackwater thing... the "official" word was that they are no longer operating in Iraq, but we all know that doesn't mean anything. I wouldn't hesistate to work for them though, they do some damn good work.
If anyone has any specific questions about how things work out here just IM me... I've been around the theater quite a while and don't plan on going anywhere for a few more years.
12-07-2005, 02:59 PM
#24
Originally Posted by Toonz
I'm here in Afghanistan... this is actually my 2nd time out here as a civilian. I won't say who I work for but it's not KBR. Nothing against them, just not my specialty. I don't carry a weapon while I'm on base here but at the FOB's and in transit is another story. By contract I'm not supposed to carry but my boss knows that contract stuff doesn't matter when you're outside the wire. Besides, someone has to sit behind the driver.
As for pay... there are a lot of catches to it. For one, you have to be out of the US for 330 days (out of 365) to get the taxes back. I've never heard that you have to make over 100K to get the 80K tax free so I'll have to look into that. Either way, 70K tax free is close to 100K in the states, not a bad salery for most jobs. And Iraq wages don't differ that far from other places, especially when you compare the quality of life in Iraq to Afghanistan. For the "most" part, it's MUCH nicer in Iraq.
As for the motors and stuff, it's not as bad in "most" places as people assume. Sure, there are some area's that get shelled a lot, but you also don't find as many contractors in those area's.
And on the Blackwater thing... the "official" word was that they are no longer operating in Iraq, but we all know that doesn't mean anything. I wouldn't hesistate to work for them though, they do some damn good work.
If anyone has any specific questions about how things work out here just IM me... I've been around the theater quite a while and don't plan on going anywhere for a few more years.
As for pay... there are a lot of catches to it. For one, you have to be out of the US for 330 days (out of 365) to get the taxes back. I've never heard that you have to make over 100K to get the 80K tax free so I'll have to look into that. Either way, 70K tax free is close to 100K in the states, not a bad salery for most jobs. And Iraq wages don't differ that far from other places, especially when you compare the quality of life in Iraq to Afghanistan. For the "most" part, it's MUCH nicer in Iraq.
As for the motors and stuff, it's not as bad in "most" places as people assume. Sure, there are some area's that get shelled a lot, but you also don't find as many contractors in those area's.
And on the Blackwater thing... the "official" word was that they are no longer operating in Iraq, but we all know that doesn't mean anything. I wouldn't hesistate to work for them though, they do some damn good work.
If anyone has any specific questions about how things work out here just IM me... I've been around the theater quite a while and don't plan on going anywhere for a few more years.
12-07-2005, 10:21 PM
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Yeah, I heard about that 330/365 thing. Not that I really wanted to go back to play in the kitty litter anyway. Cool thing about my kinda contract work is you can find it anywhere.
12-08-2005, 09:23 AM
#26
Originally Posted by Toonz
I'm here in Afghanistan... this is actually my 2nd time out here as a civilian. I won't say who I work for but it's not KBR. Nothing against them, just not my specialty. I don't carry a weapon while I'm on base here but at the FOB's and in transit is another story. By contract I'm not supposed to carry but my boss knows that contract stuff doesn't matter when you're outside the wire. Besides, someone has to sit behind the driver.
As for pay... there are a lot of catches to it. For one, you have to be out of the US for 330 days (out of 365) to get the taxes back. I've never heard that you have to make over 100K to get the 80K tax free so I'll have to look into that. Either way, 70K tax free is close to 100K in the states, not a bad salery for most jobs. And Iraq wages don't differ that far from other places, especially when you compare the quality of life in Iraq to Afghanistan. For the "most" part, it's MUCH nicer in Iraq.
As for the motors and stuff, it's not as bad in "most" places as people assume. Sure, there are some area's that get shelled a lot, but you also don't find as many contractors in those area's.
And on the Blackwater thing... the "official" word was that they are no longer operating in Iraq, but we all know that doesn't mean anything. I wouldn't hesistate to work for them though, they do some damn good work.
If anyone has any specific questions about how things work out here just IM me... I've been around the theater quite a while and don't plan on going anywhere for a few more years.
As for pay... there are a lot of catches to it. For one, you have to be out of the US for 330 days (out of 365) to get the taxes back. I've never heard that you have to make over 100K to get the 80K tax free so I'll have to look into that. Either way, 70K tax free is close to 100K in the states, not a bad salery for most jobs. And Iraq wages don't differ that far from other places, especially when you compare the quality of life in Iraq to Afghanistan. For the "most" part, it's MUCH nicer in Iraq.
As for the motors and stuff, it's not as bad in "most" places as people assume. Sure, there are some area's that get shelled a lot, but you also don't find as many contractors in those area's.
And on the Blackwater thing... the "official" word was that they are no longer operating in Iraq, but we all know that doesn't mean anything. I wouldn't hesistate to work for them though, they do some damn good work.
If anyone has any specific questions about how things work out here just IM me... I've been around the theater quite a while and don't plan on going anywhere for a few more years.
01-16-2006, 04:54 PM
#27
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I know this is an old post but what the hell...
I've been a contractor in Iraq for 2 years now. Mostly in Baghdad. Heres the skinny that even some people out here don't know:
doesnt matter where you are as long as you spend 30 days or less in the US or its territories during the fiscal year that you are claiming, (not everyone starts jobs based on the normal tax year). The first 80K is tax free. Everything over that is taxable as regular income--unless you work for a company that doesnt report to the US like Global, Aegis, Tamimi, PPI, or any other non-US company.
KBR reports your income in a heartbeat--and very few KBR people out here are actually KBR---almost every last one of us are actually hired by a KBR subsidary in the Cayman Islands called Service Employees International Inc (SEII). Legally, were actually hired by a foreign company which is why we dont qualify for any benefits or even workmans comp and unemployment pay, (been tried, went to court, and the company won). But I have co-workers whove been here over a year and still havent figured this out.
but then again, most of them are from the rank and file of texas finest trailer parks.
Dont get me wrong, the pay is a ton better than I would make normally. The pay scale is actually a pretty low base pay such as the craft people (plumbers, electricians, etc), making somewhere between xxxx and xxxx a month that is broken down hourly at 160 hours monthly. they also pay an extra 55% 'uplift' on that for the same initial 160 hours (40 hr work week).
now, heres the screw:..you actually work a mandatory minimum of 336 ours a week (12 hours a day-must justify working less) and they dont pay the 55% uplift on anything over 40 a week (that initial 160). Its gone to court, the company lost, appealed, and now its in legal limbo.
theres also a lot of other details in the pay scheme--its suffeciently complex that very few people spend the time following it step by step.
what you want to look for is #1 how long will the company remain and #2 the money. #3 leave/R&R policy
A friend of mine worked for another company and when their yearly contract was up, (every thing here is 1 year contracts), they didn't get the contract renewed so he was sent packing home after only 1 year although he tried getting other positions out here--but no one picked him up. However, in that one year...he made almost 200k which takes me a little under a year and a half.
We've got the worst R&R--we get paid 8 hrs a day with no uplift and pay our own international plane ticket for everything over $860. Basically, its like making less than a pizza delivery driver for your time on R&R (we pretty much dont count it at all). Most of us didnt figure the loss of a full month (and the expenses) that taking leave would cost us---we all just saw the fat end of year total before deductions.
sooo..the lowest paying company out here is KBR (seii) and thats only if your a services type person or labor foreman.
the bottom level job your looking for should be at least 110k a year saleried, not hourly. Full paid R&R plane ticket with at least 30 days a year, (some companies have 60 and Aegis gives 90 days off a year).
KBR isnt a bad company to work for--but it IS the most restrictive. Although if you're a services/craft/skilled labor person then expect only to work for URS, LSI, or KBR and top out at only 65k, (after R&R is deducted).
I've been a contractor in Iraq for 2 years now. Mostly in Baghdad. Heres the skinny that even some people out here don't know:
doesnt matter where you are as long as you spend 30 days or less in the US or its territories during the fiscal year that you are claiming, (not everyone starts jobs based on the normal tax year). The first 80K is tax free. Everything over that is taxable as regular income--unless you work for a company that doesnt report to the US like Global, Aegis, Tamimi, PPI, or any other non-US company.
KBR reports your income in a heartbeat--and very few KBR people out here are actually KBR---almost every last one of us are actually hired by a KBR subsidary in the Cayman Islands called Service Employees International Inc (SEII). Legally, were actually hired by a foreign company which is why we dont qualify for any benefits or even workmans comp and unemployment pay, (been tried, went to court, and the company won). But I have co-workers whove been here over a year and still havent figured this out.
but then again, most of them are from the rank and file of texas finest trailer parks.
Dont get me wrong, the pay is a ton better than I would make normally. The pay scale is actually a pretty low base pay such as the craft people (plumbers, electricians, etc), making somewhere between xxxx and xxxx a month that is broken down hourly at 160 hours monthly. they also pay an extra 55% 'uplift' on that for the same initial 160 hours (40 hr work week).
now, heres the screw:..you actually work a mandatory minimum of 336 ours a week (12 hours a day-must justify working less) and they dont pay the 55% uplift on anything over 40 a week (that initial 160). Its gone to court, the company lost, appealed, and now its in legal limbo.
theres also a lot of other details in the pay scheme--its suffeciently complex that very few people spend the time following it step by step.
what you want to look for is #1 how long will the company remain and #2 the money. #3 leave/R&R policy
A friend of mine worked for another company and when their yearly contract was up, (every thing here is 1 year contracts), they didn't get the contract renewed so he was sent packing home after only 1 year although he tried getting other positions out here--but no one picked him up. However, in that one year...he made almost 200k which takes me a little under a year and a half.
We've got the worst R&R--we get paid 8 hrs a day with no uplift and pay our own international plane ticket for everything over $860. Basically, its like making less than a pizza delivery driver for your time on R&R (we pretty much dont count it at all). Most of us didnt figure the loss of a full month (and the expenses) that taking leave would cost us---we all just saw the fat end of year total before deductions.
sooo..the lowest paying company out here is KBR (seii) and thats only if your a services type person or labor foreman.
the bottom level job your looking for should be at least 110k a year saleried, not hourly. Full paid R&R plane ticket with at least 30 days a year, (some companies have 60 and Aegis gives 90 days off a year).
KBR isnt a bad company to work for--but it IS the most restrictive. Although if you're a services/craft/skilled labor person then expect only to work for URS, LSI, or KBR and top out at only 65k, (after R&R is deducted).
Last edited by Alcohol Sponge; 01-16-2006 at 05:00 PM.
01-16-2006, 05:23 PM
#28
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I'm alomst there myself with a company that is contracting out SAMS jobs in Iraq. Was there for OIF3 but now it's time to earn some real money.
I'm hoping that they're not contracting this crap out with KBR, just not crazy about there company and all.
I'm hoping that they're not contracting this crap out with KBR, just not crazy about there company and all.
01-16-2006, 08:52 PM
#29
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yea..I'm not too crazy either about the company. I know it's reflecting poorly on me to say that about my current employer but one thing thats true is that they wont help a person out for squat. It's an attitude of 'how little can we get away with doing for this person.'
Although most people here think we'll always be here--the actual contract is only until April and I'm feeling that the client is gonna have us draw down a ton of staffing once we hit sustainment mode.
I'm currently looking around and slinging my resume all over in case I get one of those short pink forms they're notorious for leaving on your desk telling you to report to HR.
One of the hardest things was listening to the near-hatred that other contractors out here have for KBR. I got to where I hid my company ID unless I was needing to get back into our mancamp.
Although most people here think we'll always be here--the actual contract is only until April and I'm feeling that the client is gonna have us draw down a ton of staffing once we hit sustainment mode.
I'm currently looking around and slinging my resume all over in case I get one of those short pink forms they're notorious for leaving on your desk telling you to report to HR.
One of the hardest things was listening to the near-hatred that other contractors out here have for KBR. I got to where I hid my company ID unless I was needing to get back into our mancamp.
01-17-2006, 11:33 AM
#30
Originally Posted by Alcohol Sponge
yea..I'm not too crazy either about the company. I know it's reflecting poorly on me to say that about my current employer but one thing thats true is that they wont help a person out for squat. It's an attitude of 'how little can we get away with doing for this person.'
Although most people here think we'll always be here--the actual contract is only until April and I'm feeling that the client is gonna have us draw down a ton of staffing once we hit sustainment mode.
I'm currently looking around and slinging my resume all over in case I get one of those short pink forms they're notorious for leaving on your desk telling you to report to HR.
One of the hardest things was listening to the near-hatred that other contractors out here have for KBR. I got to where I hid my company ID unless I was needing to get back into our mancamp.
Although most people here think we'll always be here--the actual contract is only until April and I'm feeling that the client is gonna have us draw down a ton of staffing once we hit sustainment mode.
I'm currently looking around and slinging my resume all over in case I get one of those short pink forms they're notorious for leaving on your desk telling you to report to HR.
One of the hardest things was listening to the near-hatred that other contractors out here have for KBR. I got to where I hid my company ID unless I was needing to get back into our mancamp.
Is there a certain place in the states you have to live with KBR (or the other companies)? I guess what I'm asking is when you are not overseas, do you still have a job to go to or are you just doing whatever you want? Because come this December I will be living in D/FW no matter what, even if I have to resort to selling my body to rich old ladies.
