In addition, at least 938 iraqi private contractors have been killed for a total of 1,487 contractors. Civilian drivers feel neglected after working in iraq civilian truck drivers who haul freight between military bases in iraq find themselves on the wars frontlines. Truck drivers are always in high demand in iraq and other countries where terrorist factions are constantly battling anyone and everyone for control. Us marines and british sas in combat fighting the taliban in 2011. The united states blames the shiite muslim militia kataeb hezbollah, backed by. Kbr and other contractor truck drivers quit their job or refused to cross the border from kuwait into iraq when one of the kbr convoys was ambushed in april 2004. Kansas truck driver david meredith, the son of an army colonel, saw operation iraqi freedom as a chance to serve his country and his income. Family of truckdriver killed in iraq sues halliburton for.
Every day, hundreds of civilian american truck drivers working for halliburton subsidiary kbr make their way across iraq. Last time, jerry told us how he got into the truck driving industry as an entry level driver, and more about his current job. If the thought of driving a truck in north america seems a little too boring for you, then driving a truck in a country like iraq may be better for you. There are even overseas driving jobs available in combat zones like iraq and afghanistan that pay exceedingly well and sometimes tax.
The following correction was printed in the guardians corrections and clarifications column, friday may 14 2004 in the interview below, we quoted a remark torin nelson made about cooks and truck. Move one is glad to announce the opening of its newest fifth office in iraq. The idea is if these military jobs are outsourced to contractors, then the u. List of private contractor deaths in iraq wikipedia. We live, we eat, we sleep, pretty much side by side with our troops. Maintain routing sequence and driver records such us dispatch. The lowstress way to find your next truck driver us mail contractor job opportunity is on simplyhired. In addition, at least 938 iraqi private contractors have been killed for a total of 1,487 contractors dead. Power plant workers and welders hit six figures, too.
Preston wheeler, a truck driver for kbr a subsidiary of halliburton shot this amazing video of his truck convoy being ambushed in iraq. Iraqi judge releases american contractors iraq says four us contractors detained not fiv e five us contractors held in slayin g of jim kitterman contractor support of u. Im writing this from iraq im a contract truck driver here and have over 5 years in country the people talking to your husband are over stating pay and the tax free amount has changed every year ive been here and is not a given you have to stay out of the us 330 days out of 365 to qulify. A true account of civilian convoy drivers in iraq at. There, he saw how extreme stress affected communities. Contractors in iraq are targets for attack cbs news. An oped takes a peek at an often invisible military force.
Iraq operates the base but houses american and foreign contractors who train iraqi security personnel. Though his first few weeks there were relatively uneventful, last week his truck was destroyed and he narrowly escaped with his life when a convoy he was in was ambushed. When one thinks about the war in iraq, they think of our soldiers there, doing what they can to protect our country. Senior managers for defense contractor kbr overruled calls to halt supply operations in iraq in the spring of 2004, ordering unarmored trucks into an active combat zone where six civilian drivers. Iraq trucking companies iraq trucking move one inc. However, cta members must do more than simply label a truck driver as an independent contractor.
Glassdoor lets you search all open truck driver jobs in iraq. The majority of contractor jobs are for security working as truck drivers in baghdad, interrogators in afghanistan, or personal protection for big shot businessmen. The daughter of an american truck driver killed in iraq filed a federal lawsuit yesterday against halliburton, the primary contractor providing logistical support to the military in iraq. Most jobs are in military and security close protection. Iraq truck driving jobs truck driving jobs trucking.
Contractor, attacked in iraq, returns home nprs robert siegel talks with stephen heering, a texas truck driver whod been driving in iraq for a subsidiary of halliburton. New truck driver us mail contractor careers are added daily on. Contractors say they will stay despite lack of immunity. Tony johnson, a truck driver from riverside, california, was one of 19 drivers carrying fuel for the united states military from camp anaconda in iraq to baghdad international airport. Glassdoor lets you search all open driver jobs in iraq. Senior managers for defense contractor kbr overruled calls to halt. In this video post, jerry begins to tell us about his unique experience as a truck driver in iraq, starting with how he got the opportunity, and what it was like to be in iraq as a civilian truck driver. A rare female truck driver in iraq, shes written a book about working in a war zone. Balad air base is strategically located 68 kilometers north of baghdad.
Pfc jeremy church was the first truck driver and army reserve soldier to receive the silver star medal since the vietnam war. However, critics of military outsourcing say the real problem is flexibility and commandandcontrol over private workers. A contractor stands guard over a meeting of iraqi election officials and us embassy officials in mosul, iraq. Employees were killed and kbr truck driver, tommy hamill, was kidnapped and showed up. Truck driving jobs in iraq iraq trucking contractors. They make up roughly 50% of the civilian contractors in remote regions of the world. The new office opened march 1, on location at balad air base, also known as camp anaconda. Most overseas jobs dont pay,especially if youre just a truck driver. For instance, there is a high demand for private truck drivers in countries across europe, a region of the world with thriving commercial retail industries.
On april 9, 2004 the convoy drove straight into a major battle, and six truck drivers were killed, one was kidnapped, and one disappeared. With only a lighter and a cell phone its a race against time to escape this claustrophobic death trap. Who are the private contractors in iraq and afghanistan. Record number of us contractors in iraq some 190,000 private personnel were working in the iraq theater as of early this year, a new report says.
June 2008 an american convoy team including kbr truck drivers and military personal attempt to drive through enemy territory. Operations in uscentcom aor, iraq, and afghanistan operational contract support, state of the union may 2009 roadside bomb kills three americans in iraq. Contractors in iraq are hidden casualties of war propublica. Pfc jeremy church was the first truck driver and army reserve soldier to receive. Truck drivers are always in high demand in iraq and other countries where terrorist factions are constantly battling anyone and everyone for. Heavy truck driver heavy truck driver seeking experienced tractortrailer drivers to transport various loads of equipment and. Cta members are free to use independent contractors or employees, she wrote. For many drivers, the main attraction is the chance to. The lowstress way to find your next contractor in iraq job opportunity is on simplyhired. David furst getty images at the moment, though, everyone in.
The good friday ambush 2004 was an attack by iraqi insurgents on april 9, 2004 during the iraq war on a convoy of u. Three months later, cole reported the theft of an armored toyota suv assigned to vips. Sosi is seeking a firefighter lead for our current contract located on camp taji, iraq. Civilian drivers feel neglected after working in iraq. Civilian contractor jobs overseas afghanistan, middle. Us conducts airstrikes in iraq in retaliation for attack. Escape in iraq is tale of heroism thomas hamill is a commercial truck driver and dairy farmer from macon, mississippi. Waking groggy in pitch darkness, paul conroy, an american truck driver working in iraq in 2006, slowly. Driver taking video is stopped, under fire, and panicking on the cb for help. After the ambush, several hundred kbr drivers quit and flew home, forcing the th corps support command to find licensed military drivers to drive the tankers. There are over 44 truck driver us mail contractor careers waiting for you to apply. Three civilian contractors, thomas hamill, timothy bell and william bradley, and u. As of june 26, 2011, there have been 550 foreign private contractor deaths in iraq as part of the iraq war. A truck driver had lost control of his vehicle, but never reported it.
Are you allowed to carry a weapon as a truck driver. In late 2003, he began driving in iraq for a civilian company delivering military supplies to coalition troops. After an attack by a group of iraqis he wakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. Homemade video i made while working for kbr in iraq from dec 09 to july 10 as a pls driver. For comparison, the us had an average of about 150,000 ground troops in iraq during 2005. People dont often think about the other people working in iraq, the civilian contractors that fulfill such jobs as security and transportation. Whether truck drivers are classified as employees or independent contractors is becoming an increasingly difficult challenge for many motor carriers when it comes to workers compensation and. Private contractors are americas shadow army in iraq.
805 1076 243 864 1152 91 708 1151 1110 882 202 465 489 49 1445 551 1050 1440 1537 1187 971 930 83 687 1156 1055 256 29 1339 956 1034 827