WWWWWOT....What would you do for $170K? (long)

[Guest Anonymous]

I have this huge job opportunity to go to Iraq for the clearance and disposal of Iraq’s weapons stockpiles.

Pros-Big time Money ($170K), $82K tax free, major bomb disposal operations, huge demolition shots, vast knowledge and experiences to be gained, a great adventure, majorly self gratifying on a personal and professional level. Paid vacations every 90 days plus travel money, To sum it up, "It's a bomb guys paradise"!!!

Cons- Iraq, terrorism, dangerous more from the people than ordnance (security is provided) away from family and friends, not to mention my 2002 and M3, a year long commitment, living in a tent (it has A/C), long hours (6/12 hr days). Getting my shot records up to date!

Sorry for the bandwidth, just wanted to see it written out. I have to decide by Friday. By the way my wife has left the decision to me. It’s very tempting! What would you do?

Phil

[Guest Anonymous]

Can I go with? I can think of lots to do with $170K, at least $20K would go to my 02...well maybe not that much only if I got over a mill.

[Guest Anonymous]

I love my wife every year at least $70k worth and my car at least $100k worth ... or is that the other way around?

If I ever have to stay away longer than a week the wife/cars/cats/computers/guns etc all come with me.

been there (well not THERE) and done that. not a bit of damn fun.

[Guest Anonymous]

If you like to travel it sounds pretty compelling. The Middle-

east is a pretty amazing place and the folks who live there

are brought up to be open-minded and generous. They'll size

you up for who you are, not where you come from. I was in

Iraq, Jordan and Syria on a fellowship right after Reagan

pounded the crap out of Beirut, and to my amazement, never

felt animosity pointed in my direction. Lotta' questions came

my way, tho.... Plan on being invited home for strong tea and

coffee (at the same time. ack!) by people you meet on the

street.

Hope you can live without decent beer. The Lebanese stuff is

barely drinkable if you can track it down, and the stuff that

passes for bitters from Syria is an aquired taste.

As far as your chances of getting blown up or picked off, if

you add up your chances of being run down by a bus, hit by

lightning, killed in a car crash, or hit by an ACME anvil

dropped from seven stories up, you might as well just go.

Travel only gets more difficult and less interesting as you get

older.

The family thing is tough - I take it your wife doesn't get to live

in the air-con tent, too. That may be just as well, as women

are treated very differently there (can you say sexually

repressed culture?) and many women from the west get fed

up pretty quick. Maybe you two can work on racking up the

frequent-flyer miles. A busy year passes before you know it.

Other plusses: if you like languages, Arabic is pretty easy to

learn and fun to speak and the 5-times-a-day call to prayer

grows on you (really). The blowing other peoples' stuff up

part sounds pretty cool.

Just go. There are lots of BMW's over there. Who knows what

you'll find - with all that cash burning a hole in your pocket.....

[Guest Anonymous]

I was in Turkey and Iraq in the first Gulf War while severing in the military. Spent 3 years in Saudi Arabia as a civilian bomb disposal technician/ advisor.

[Guest Anonymous]

Do it. For all the right reasons.

[Guest Anonymous]

If not, stay home. A year isn't a long time tho. What were you

doing a year ago today? Does that seem like very long ago?

Prob'ly not.

And Iraq and its nerighbors are more fun than Saudi. Not as

wealthy but not as weird.

[Guest Anonymous]

Loved the job, hated dealing with the Saudi's. They can, I mean they are a PITA. I have some horror stories. Also spent time in Egypt, the Egyptians where great. Even most Arab countries hate the Saudi's.

[Guest Anonymous]

I would go if it's much more than what I make and had no kids. There's no point for the kids to take a risk for loosing their dad for some extra cash.

[Guest Anonymous]

I did some thing like that back in tha Vietnahm war. I was working on sea-going tugboats and I was sent to nam to run a tug that I was chief engineer of. I made double my wages in the war zone. Ask yourself if the risk is worth the money. What it did for me was to get me established financialy so that I didn't have ot worry about money. I also was able to buy a brand new bavaria. I thought it was worth the risk. G

[Guest Anonymous]

Specially if you have kids. Not worth it. If you was single, you can take it as an adventure. I will bet your wife said that just to make you happy. She will be happy if you staid with your family. Give it your best thought.

[Guest Anonymous]

Its your call, but just think of how many service men and women are over there right now... and they are doing it for just over minimum wage. Its pretty sad.

Donate your time and give it for team.

Haha just kidding, it sounds like a good skill building adventure. The money isn't bad either. And just think, when you get back from Iraq you can hit hte public speaking tour and talk about your expieriences and rake in more cash.

What kind of bomb field are you in? Law enforcement or private sector? I am an Ofcr in Southrn California and several years ago there was a similar deal for us in Bosnia to go train their new police force. I would have gone if I could have. You only get one chance to live this life, make it exciting.

[Guest Anonymous]

a pilot friend of mine is over there in Bad-Gad helping to set up the commercial air operation. He called on sat phone and said it was o.k. I think he is a lot safer than you will be in your line of work, though. The money and benefits sound good, but the news reports indicate bad ju-ju still everywhere. Depends on the amount of protection you get from bad guys. If they will dedicate a company to surround your team and let you have your own Bradley as your daily driver, it would make it a good thing. Like I told my buddy: wear your Kevlar . Good luck Bomb -Dude: stay safe. make money fast, and get the hell outta there ASAP.

[Guest Anonymous]

I am a prior military Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician. It's the military's Bomb Squad. We dealt with everything from fireworks to nuclear weapons. (U.S. and foreign weapons) That includes improvised explosive devices (home made bombs) like police departments would deal with. I am currently working as a UXO (unexploded ordnance) technician. We clear land of military ordnance. Prior military training is a job requirement.

[Guest Anonymous]

what type and how much, I don’t know. But, I do know that the U.S. government does not want these munitions falling into the wrong hands. There is some risk working with munitions, but this job is mostly a demolitions operation. Much safer than the clearing a battlefield of unexploded ordnance, like I did during Desert Storm. And for a hole lot less money!