Staying the course.

[builder]

This article surprised me. Private contractors are needed to protect the supply line? Are these casualties counted in the death toll?

IN IRAQ FOR THE MONEY

The US military depends more than ever on private contractors to keep its operations here going - not just to provide meals and other support services to the 150,000 US troops in Iraq, but to guard the convoys bringing in the food and supplies.

An American private contractor works as a gunner for supply convoys

If you can live with the risks, being a contractor in Iraq is lucrative

I was talking to one of these contractors recently, as he started his second tour.

He works as a gunner protecting convoys between Baghdad and Kuwait.

View attachment 1140

"We bring in everything - food, medical supplies and ammunition," he said.

And the convoys are regularly attacked, with far higher casualties than among US troops.

"We had 160 in our group on my last tour," he said. "We lost 40 guys." He was involved in several serious clashes himself.

I asked him why he kept coming back.

"Simple. The money," he replied.

I won't name his company, but the contractor told me he was earning almost US$17,000 dollars a month, tax-free, and with his health insurance covered.

He has a large family.

"Where else can I make that?"

For him, an early American withdrawal would be bad news.

"I need to do this for another three years. Then I can retire."

Article here.

 

[Phantom]

I can understand workers like electricians and engineers- but gunners and convy guards? I thought that was the military's job?

 

[Msixty]

sounds like blackwater, the're the biggest and security is right down there ally.

those guys make allmost $100,000.000 a year for body gard type jobs, the company is pretty impressive to, even has it's own weapons production branch.

and 40 guys? ****, they hit some ****** kill zones...

 

[Msixty]

I can understand workers like electricians and engineers- but gunners and convy guards? I thought that was the military's job?

They get payed crazy good because the military puts them in places they don't want military members. ever hear the term Mercenary? read 'the dogs of war' they do the stuff we don't want to

 

[Phantom]

They get payed crazy good because the military puts them in places they don't want military members. ever hear the term Mercenary? read 'the dogs of war' they do the stuff we don't want to

Ah, good to know. Yes, mercenaries. Didn't think about that. It just seems like military personnel would be less expensive. Then again, we are talking about the government- they aren't exactly known for their money management.

Wonder if they need a skin care mercenary to give the troops facials. I would do it for a cool $1 million.

 

[builder]

sounds like blackwater, the're the biggest and security is right down there ally.
those guys make allmost $100,000.000 a year for body gard type jobs, the company is pretty impressive to, even has it's own weapons production branch.

and 40 guys? ****, they hit some ****** kill zones...

17 grand times twelve months is over 200 grand.

The road from the airport to Bahgdad has never been secured by the military.

Most "traffic" to and from the airport is by chopper.

 

[Msixty]

17 grand times twelve months is over 200 grand.

i was talking about body gaurd jobs. this is much more life-threatening

The road from the airport to Bahgdad has never been secured by the military.
Most "traffic" to and from the airport is by chopper.

hence the higher pay.

 

[Msixty]

Ah, good to know. Yes, mercenaries. Didn't think about that. It just seems like military personnel would be less expensive.

And when 40 out of every 160 marines is getting killed on a convoy of food mission? Then how costly are they? it's a PR thing. And Merc's don't do the ******* Geneva convention dance. They load up with whatever gun they want, and kill who gets in the way of the mission, full metal jacket only rules be dammed!

(a few years ago some 'Contractors' were bringing terrorist POW's back to an American base, they were being followed and one terrorist was walking slow to get them captured, so the contractors shot the ****** on the spot, then shot the other two in the back of the head when they tried the same thing, when asked about it they simply said "huh? Oh, we lost them to incoming fire")

 

[Jhony5]

Hey, $17k a month will buy you a **** sweet set of prosthetic legs.

 

[Msixty]

Hey, $17k a month will buy you a **** sweet set of prosthetic legs.

falls over laughing

oh... that's soooo morbid

but it won't do him any good, convoy gunner=sniper bait

 

[builder]

****, I can make a hundred G slapping tiles onto walls and floors.

No way would I be putting my life on the line for less than half a million.

 

[Msixty]

****, I can make a hundred G slapping tiles onto walls and floors.
No way would I be putting my life on the line for less than half a million.

Doing stuff like that would drive me insane, I'd opt for contracting.

But no matter how much i want to use the M249 or M60..... I'd never do it, I'm too big a target to play sniper bait, I'm gonna go sharpshooter, simple rifleman, or grenadier.

 

[Jhony5]

Doing stuff like that would drive me insane, I'd opt for contracting.
But no matter how much i want to use the M249 or M60..... I'd never do it, I'm too big a target to play sniper bait, I'm gonna go sharpshooter, simple rifleman, or grenadier.

My brother was a mortar man in Iraq during the Gulf war. Sounded like a sweet assignment. At the time he was 6'7 and 290 pounds. Fitting for a guy that carries a mortar around. If I remember right he said his weapon could be utilized in different ways. Including propping it against a tree or other solid object and shooting it forward toward the enemy. You know more about that **** than I do, however.

 

[Msixty]

Including propping it against a tree or other solid object and shooting it forward toward the enemy.

i'd pay to see that i'd presume it would be like using an Anti-Aircraft gun on a honda...

 

[builder]

Doing stuff like that would drive me insane, I'd opt for contracting.
But no matter how much i want to use the M249 or M60..... I'd never do it, I'm too big a target to play sniper bait, I'm gonna go sharpshooter, simple rifleman, or grenadier.

You're right, it drives me to drink.

But I'm not handling radioactive ordinance as a daily excercise, and I won't be contracting cancer as a result.

 

[Msixty]

You're right, it drives me to drink.
But I'm not handling radioactive ordinance as a daily excercise, and I won't be contracting cancer as a result.

not every soldier does that, only the ones using DU weapons (artillery, tank crewmen, etc...) actually, we used to use radioactive materials in watches for the glow in the dark, and it didn't cause cancer or birth defects. a standerd 5.56MM round is steel jacketed lead, nothing more. the same with a 40MM grenade shell, and a .50 CAL round, no DU.

 

[builder]

You're in the dark, mister. All shielding is now DU fortified.

Your small arms ordinance is not made of lead. It's too expensive, and you turkeys are too wasteful to use lead on. It's all DU. Nobody is gonna tell you this fact, because your esteemed leaders would prefer that you all die young so you aren't a burden on the budget in your retirement years.

Grow up son. Live and learn.

 

[Msixty]

You're in the dark, mister. All shielding is now DU fortified.
Your small arms ordinance is not made of lead. It's too expensive, and you turkeys are too wasteful to use lead on. It's all DU. Nobody is gonna tell you this fact, because your esteemed leaders would prefer that you all die young so you aren't a burden on the budget in your retirement years.

Grow up son. Live and learn.

Oh ***, you're one of those media types

and by 'shielding' do you mean reactive armor? Or body armor? Or are we using some kind of force-field along with our 'nuke' bullets in our pistols?

And btw builder, the marines are obsessive on marksmanship, we are not 'turkeys' nor are we wasteful of ammunition in a firefight. We don't shoot from the hip hoping we hit, the movies are bullshit, if you believe we shoot like that you are an idiot. The only ones shooting like that in a 'spray and pray' method are the people we are fighting.

and do you own a gun?

 

[builder]

Oh ***, you're one of those media types

Nope. I'm an aware civilian. Does that trouble you?

and by 'shielding' do you mean reactive armor? Or body armor? Or are we using some kind of force-field along with our 'nuke' bullets in our pistols?

All tanks and armoured cars, all artillery weapons are made with DU.

And btw builder, the marines are obsessive on marksmanship, we are not 'turkeys' nor are we wasteful of ammunition in a firefight.

So that's why the Israelis had to bail out your arses in Iraq when you ran out of ammo? I've got the hit/miss stats. It's not pretty.

We don't shoot from the hip hoping we hit, the movies are bullshit, if you believe we shoot like that you are an idiot.

I don't have to surmise, the stats speak for themselves. Your history in the conflicts that we've been involved in are embarrassing.

The only ones shooting like that in a 'spray and pray' method are the people we are fighting.

You've not yet encountered an enemy, nor been involved in a firefight. So STFU.

and do you own a gun?

Three rifles and two guns. Why do you ask?