My son is going to Iraq as a Private Contractor

[madmunchie]

I don't know how to feel about this. He was in the Air Force for 4 years and served overseas. He opted not to reinlist 4 years ago. Since then he has worked and raced his car and kept up on all of the news of politics and religion - his main interests.

As his mother, I wish he wouldn't go. I know that once he makes his mind up though, there is no talking him out of it. He isn't a leader and he isn't a follower, he is an independent thinker - much like myself.

He is attracted by the salary and being able to really be there and to really know first hand what it is like and what is going on. He is a bit of an adventurer and I kind of understand what he is feeling, although I could never go thru with it myself.

He wants to go back to school when he finishes in Iraq. He plans on staying a year or two. I don't know how to put my head around this. I have such passionate feelings about this God Forsaken War and I used to thank my lucky stars that he was out of the military, thereby out of harms way....

He says that they are not allowed to leave the military base that they are assigned to and that they work 12 hours a day 7 days a week with 10 days off every 120 days. So, he won't be driving around on the unsafe streets. He doesn't even know which base that he will be on. A friend of his already left with another one of his friends to follow. The one friend wants to work for 2 years or so and get money for medical school.

I have pleaded with him to not go, but he is leaving.


How does one cope with this?

[Jayhawk Lib]

My nephew has been there.

My nephew has been there as a contractor for KBR for 3 years. He made a lot of money and he says that we are not getting the true picture here of what it is really like.

I could not believe it but he says that there is some dangerous places there but not near what the media plays it up to be. He said that things are getting better all the time...

That is not my words but his. I still find it hard to believe.

[peacebaby3]

9. Wow. 3 years? I didn't think KBR allowed their employees to stay overseas

in a hostile environment for that long of a period. I thought their contracts were for a 2 yr. max.

My husband served in Iraq for over a year. What part of the country is your nephew in? What kind of position does he have with KBR? That may make a difference on his perspective. We know a lot of people in country with the military and KBR/Halliburton.

He is correct that not every place is hostile, but many places in the Sunni triangle are very deadly. The problem is that many of the places that are not that hostile are actually getting worse from our perspective because they have been taken over by sectarian militias. That's why you have heard a lot about the discovery of the prisoners that had been tortured by the "Iraqi police/army". The people in those positions are actually just pretending, they are actually really part of one of the militias.

Your nephew is living in a fantasy world if he actually thinks things are getting better. You are about to see us "cut and run" but pretend like we "won."

[Cinder Dick]

1. Feel bad

This is my first post since my brother, a marine, told me of the site.

He was in Iraq for 7 months and it was agonizing. I too, am very much against this war yet struggle to reconcile how I support my brother while being anti-war. I wish I knew what to tell you...it is very tough.

[TacticalPeek]

3. Marines and soldiers don't pick the wars under our Constitution.

There's an idiot in the White House in charge of that.

[mitchtv]

5. Hey, a big DU welcome

have fun

[peacebaby3]

10. Welcome! What happened to your sig picture of Eugene Debs?

I love Eugene V. Debs!

My husband is a SFC in the Army and a Desert Shield/Storm & OIF Vet as well. He retires in less than 9 months!!!! Believe me when he left to go to Iraq, it nearly caused us to get divorced. I was at a peace rally just a couple of days before he left. He was very torn before he went. He didn't want to go, but he tried to believe in his mission and in what his government was saying (this was in early 2003 before everyone knew it was all lies.)I tried to tell him it was bullshit, but I think it was just too much for him to accept right then - knowing he really didn't have a choice except to go. One thing I can say that came out of this good for him is he is a hardcore Dem now and is adamantly opposed to this "war." He was very a-political before all of this and rarely voted.

I hope all is well with your brother. Does he have to worry about going back?

[Cinder Dick]

13. Thanks..I need sig help

Well, I was working on getting my sig image to appear and couldn't...so I just said forget it. I can put it back in because I think what Debs stood for dovetails with today quite nicely.


I am glad he went from apolitical to Dem....even though I wish he did not have to endure that to make the change.

My brother returns to Iraq mid-Feb. I am already worried about it. I will have my flag ready.
<>

[peacebaby3]

27. Don't feel bad, I have always had problems with images as well.

I just saw Debs when I read your post, but when I replied it was gone. I'm a big fan of the guy myself. He was arrested for speaking out against WWII and ran for President from jail and actually got a decent size vote for running on the Socialist ticket. Great man for the Union and working class as well.

My favorite Debs quote:

"While there is a lower class, I am in it; while there is a criminal element, I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free."

Hmmm...might have to change my sig line.

Sorry to hear about your brother going back. I will keep him in my thoughts and prayers. I know you said he told you about DU, does he ever post here?

[Cinder Dick]

36. Yes he does

Yes, he does post here, just started in December.

[peacebaby3]

37. Awesome! I hope he gets the chance to post when he has to go back.

Maybe it will help him get through his time there a little better.

You know they have started a group here for military and their families. I haven't posted there, but it might be a good place for you and your brother to post and meet some good people. I need to go and check in with them as well.

Here's a link to the forum on DU:

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=356>

Please, please keep us posted about your brother. I know that many DUers including myself would love to be able to send care packages and give him as much support as possible.

You or he can pm me anytime.

Keeping both of you in my thoughts and prayers!

[cmd]

33. Welcome to DU,

I've been around here for a long time and have yet to post an image. You are light years ahead of me. Glad to meet you. cmd.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

11. Welcome to DU!

Thanks for joining in.

My son is in the Guard, he just got back from basic a few weeks ago. I feel ya.

[newyawker99]

31. Hi Cinder Dick!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[meganmonkey]

35. Welcome to DU, Cinder

:toast:

[TacticalPeek]

2. Get him to switch to the Stans.

Bringing down Bin Laden and Zawahiri is a worthy endeavor. It could help in the event of death/injury, if it's in an honorable cause.

[UrbScotty]

4. First, know that we're here for you.

DU has been here for me when I needed help.

Second, spend time with friends and family members for support.

Your family will be in my thoughts and prayers.

[ddeclue]

6. There's not enough money in the world to take this risk...

It's just not safe over there...

I'm a contract engineer and I've gotten several calls in the last few years asking me to work in the middle east and I had to laugh them off. I wouldn't even go to Saudi Arabia much less Iraq. They couldn't pay me enough to do that much less go to Iraq.

Does he not have and moral objections to what Bush is doing over there?

It's just not worth the money, no matter how much they're paying.


Sorry to hear this,

Doug D.

[mwb970]

34. I can't imagine anyone going to Iraq "for the money".

It sounds like someone is misinformed about the reality of the situation over there. I agree - there's not enough money in the world to get me to set foot in that hellhole. I like life better.

Participating in this war is a sad mistake.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. Well he is bound it make some good money

Be proud of his work ethic and his plan to improve his life.

My son's best friend is on leave now from the navy. He has been to Iraq and has to go back for a few months. He said since they are navy, they are not involved in the fighting and he has not once felt unsafe or threatened while he was there. I hope that makes you feel a little more comfortable.

[Neil Lisst]

8. It's almost impossible to talk someone out of it.

It's tough when you're young, and someone offers you more money than you ever thought you'd make, to do what you already know how to do, and as a civilian, not as a soldier. No more chickensh!t about uniforms, and parades, and saluting.

[dusmcj]

12. seems like the company makes a difference

For example, in the security biz, there seems to be a spectrum ranging from the comparatively professional Blackwater people (lots of experience, no Rambos) to the scumbags at Dyncorp (sex traffickers in Yugo). I would expect the same would hold for any contractor - try to find his employer's rep to either set your mind at ease, or supply him with the bad juice along with a recommendation that he find better. Quality of the employer would seem to affect who has his back in a "bad situation", i.e. what his support lines are, and generally what his living and working conditions are like. The amateurs seem to run their people on a shoestring with the promise of a high salary if they make it out alive. It takes more than that.

Note that I have no inside insight on this, I just consume the MSM like the rest of the folk here.

Good luck to you both!

[Rainscents]

14. My biggest problem seeing anyone going to Iraq,

being expose to DU (depleted Uranium. Iraq has lot of sand storms and people will inhale DU without knowing it. Look at what is happening with Desert Storm vets now? Over 11,000 dead and almost 50% of them are now very ill. We are going to see, lot of Iraq vets die and become ill once they come home. This is what, I am so against anyone going over there!

[seabeyond]

15. i have someone i know and he will be working in the green zone

pretty jazzed all the money he will be making and all the fun he will be having in a nice safe controlled environment while all the people on the outside will be living a hell. to be honest, i am not thrilled with these people making profit out of this horrible war causing death, pain and suffering to the citizens in this country. people that have significantly less now than they did WITH saddam there. it just feels like the sick america that we are. my brother was offered a job over there too. i would feel the same, and tell him if he had taken the job. there isnt an empathy for the people outside these zones. just wrong.

[Rainscents]

16. Tell him he will most likely will be very sick from exposing to DU

when he get back to state. You should also mention to him, 11,000 Desert storm vets are dead and 50% of them are all very ill now and this is all due to exposer from DU.

[seabeyond]

17. they dont believe in that, you know why. they support bush

and to support bush they have to believe bush or our country would never allow this. i was in the thread with du having a lot of good people explain it to me. i agree. that bothers me so we contaminated that country and for the people there to have to live with that. birth babies in that. just sick. but these men that are going in to do these jobs wont even listen to that argument. goes against their basic belief to allow them to support bush and this war.

[Rainscents]

18. I see your point. I suppose then, they will find out for themself.

[seabeyond]

19. that is how i see it n/t

[madmunchie]

38. It has nothing to do with supporting Bush, believe me (he thinks Bush is

evil and part of a bigger threat to all of us) He believes that most of Washington is in bed together anyway, Republican or Democrat. He believes that power is corrupt and all in power are corrupt. He reads alot on the internet and talks to guys in the military as well as other private contractors. He wants to see for himself and he wants to make the money. Those are the two biggest lures for him now. He wants to go back to school when he gets out...possibly.

He is a Christian, but doesn't believe in the mainstream Christian Churches. He may even study theology when he comes home. His passion seems to be Religion and Government.

[Solon]

20. I'm torn as to how to respond...

For one thing, I don't understand the appeal of blood money, for that is what this is, even if your son never picks up a gun in a fight, what he is doing is the very definition of evil. Not only is he going into a war zone by choice, but he is doing it for profit. I wouldn't say I would wish him, personally, any ill, but, to be honest, I never shed a tear for any private contractor in Iraq, they decided to take a risk based on high pay, and I just don't have any sympathy for them. Actually, I hate them, they put the real troops in danger for money, and that is simply unacceptable. In my world, they would all be thrown in prison for going in the first place, but that's just me.

[Generic Other]

21. He has no business being there

How does one cope with that fact?

Sorry to be so blunt, but I have no sympathy for anyone who signs up to bring more misery to Iraqis for a paycheck.

[rucky]

22. Sorry if this sounds harsh,

but he is a war profiteer. There's gotta be better ways to make money, even if safety is not an issue.

[Twist_U_Up]

23. Is he aware of Depleted Uranium ?

is this risk worth any amount of money ?

[Stephanie]

24. here's the thread on it >

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=31414&mesg_id=31414

[clixtox]

26. War Criminals, or Facilitating The USA's War Crimes

It isn't easy (at least for me) to vilify or demonize anyone. There are way too few easy, or simple, decisions about how one should lead their life and which values one feels that they can actually live up to.
Going to Iraq now, to participate willingly in the war crimes we are perpetrating, is one case where the immorality displayed leaves me with no options!
As I was a Conscientious Objector in 1965 it is entirely clear to me what decision anyone with a mind of their own should be making now.
Coincidently, I am in Vietnam right now as a tourist!

[FreedomAngel82]

25. I'm sorry

:hug: I wish there was something I could say. :(

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

28. The best of luck to him.

When he gets back he'll probably be rich.

[WinkyDink]

29. If.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

30. WHEN.

It's time to give hope, not try to take it away.

[NNN0LHI]

32. How does your son feel about illegal aliens coming into the USA?

Just curious.

Don

[Zhade]

39. I hope he neither dies not aids in the death of others.

And leaves for home as soon as he realizes the mistake he's made.