Well, would you ?

[throdgrain]

A bloke I know is flying out to Iraq next week, he does security work there. Previously hes been to Bhagdad, which is bad enough imo, but this time he's going to Najaf, which is a pretty bad place to be at the moment.
Now heres the catch, hes getting paid, wait for it, £700. A day.
Well, if you could of course, would you ?

 

[TdC]

if I were a security bloke, say ex-army type, then yes, I would. it's quite an adventure, and I think that it appeals to a certain type of person.

however I am an IT boffin, and they're going to have to pay me a helluva lot more than 700squids per day if they're going to entice me over there. and have lots of your friend and his mates protecting my lilly white arse tbh.

 

[~Yuckfou~]

If I had a sidearm or 2, yes.

 

[Munkey]

I would. But then that's cheating

Otherwise if I diddn't live out here, watched sky news 24/7 and listened to all of Bush's speeches then no, i wouldn't go.

 

[Collino]

If I had a sidearm or 2, yes.

RPG launcher tbh

 

[Sissyfoo]

Yes. Yes I would.

/edit I would totally suck at the job but I'd happily risk losing my head for that kind of moolah!

 

[Trem]

Throddy earns that anyway.


I fucking well wouldn't go, not for double that money.

 

[Cyfr]

bet they dont even have the internet!

 

[leggy]

Would

I

Fuck.

 

[throdgrain]

Heh, well I agree with the consensus, I wouldnt go there for anything, whether I was trained millitary personnel or not.
Btw, side arms? Forget it, they've just dropped the AK-47's they used to have (the sillhouette would encourage friendly fire from a particular source...) and now carry some kind of H&K thing Ive never heard of .
Check the news though, Najaf is a fearsome place, I just think I could make out Munkey in one of the pictures of the bombed cemetary

 

[Utini]

Im trying to work out whether these guys saying theyd go is stupidity or macho bravado..... <need a willy waving smily really>

 

[Tom]

It depends what your outlook on life is. Myself, I wouldn't go, I don't think its worth it. On the other hand, if you have military training, then why not?

A couple of friends of mine did some filming in Afghanistan after the war, they flew in on a military transport. They flew in at night, with no lights on the aircraft at all, as the aircraft ahead of them had been targetted and chased by a shoulder-mounted surface to air missile!

 

[Ono]

I wouldn't.

They've been literally storming into foreigner occupied hotels and just grabbing hostages. Not willing to put my neck on the block even for that money.

 

[Utini]

Its more a level of risk thing, doing an 'extreme sport or whatever' might have a lot of danger, but its still gonna be a tiny chance of death really. Whereas dropping urself into Najaf at the moment, chances of u getting twatted arent exactly low. Its tempting fate VS kicking fate in the testicles and keying his car.

 

[throdgrain]

He's guarding Journalists now I think. This isnt just "being in Najaf" , not easy even if you go as a Nato Milkman or something, he goes at the sharp pointy end.
I dont fancy it, but if you ask him he says "I cant wait". I dunno, maybe since leaving the army hes not done much profitable work, and now he gets the big earners.

/edit I meant to say, this isnt being guarded and flying somewhere with the lights off (no offence Tom) this is doing the guarding, and shooting at people. They are having casualties, but I dont think they much recorded, according to his id card he works for the americans as a contractor.

 

[Munkey]

War correspondant. Thats the job i want. Doubt i'd pay someone 600 quid for the privelige of guarding me tho.

But then i've never been shot at so it probably is worth it.

 

[gmloki]

I suppose you are vindicated if you come home in one peice. It's a lot of money but even so a bunck of crazed iraqi's with AK47 after a peice of your ass, not sure if there is enough money

 

[Aada]

Well i went out to iraq last year.. am in Royal Green Jackets 2nd battalion and i will tell u it is pure hell im not gonna talk about it coz most sqauddies dont like talking about it.... as you can imagine we have seen things some of you guys only see in films... and worse...

you know the sad thing i hate? when i got home all i got was people i used to know from school on the dole. Asking did i kill anyone? i mean what sort of question is that? im an Infantryman its what i do im pretty much paid to do it as a Captain said to me in training.. never forgot that.

Anyway back to the point lol... security people get paid alot of money to out to iraq many of them say yes but dont know what they getting themselves into..

 

[throdgrain]

This is this bloke 4 th trip ,they do 6 weeks on, 6 off. He is a serious bloke however.

 

[Aada]

There was a couple of plus's to Iraq though i mean the American soldiers are a pretty good bunch of people highly trained but most of em just abit gung ho... im mean they kill some iraqis they cheer about it lol..

I did get to meet a sqaud of Delta Force though that was pretty amazing... got loads of pics.. but for security reasons i cant post them obviously...

My brother is in the Royal Engineers out there hes a signaler only 19 am 23


Oh yeah riding in a black hawk was also kinda cool, British Army dont use that many helicopters to be honest but the Americans? they have it all.. there aint nothing they cant get either.

 

[~Yuckfou~]

Im trying to work out whether these guys saying theyd go is stupidity or macho bravado..... <need a willy waving smily really>

I enjoy fear, this really would be a buzz and a box ticked, the money is a side issue and not a huge amount but helps.
No bull.

 

[Aada]

I enjoy fear, this really would be a buzz and a box ticked, the money is a side issue and not a huge amount but helps.
No bull.

Do what i did join the Army

 

[Cyfr]

I could never join the army, have to do what retards like Bush say

 

[Deacan]

Am to lazy for the army.

Would i go for that cash, naw am a coward at heart

 

[Gengi]

I would,
Not as guard though, more as a guarded . I realise that the two days I spend each month in guarded hotels and in convoys to the airport, is a prevention against armed robbers rather than heavily armed insugents with a grudge, and is an entirely different kettle of fish to spending 24/7 in such a way. I do think the reward is probably worth the risk. Most of my family were against me coming back to work after the time the striking workers threatened to kill all the expats, but the risk v's reward calculation said go back, and I am still alive.
Next stop may well be the Ivory Coast, the rebels and the Government seem to be in a state of accord right now so that should be fine too. Will find out in October.

Later

 

[Aada]

Once you out there though dont really matter what the goverments are saying... its about your section/platoon at the end of the day look after the guy next to you etc etc

 

[~Yuckfou~]

Do what i did join the Army

Way too old

 

[Durzel]

I'd do it.

If you think about it objectively there are plenty of journos working out there in the same conditions, and countless other people - particularly IT folk - doing jobs over there. They're not all getting kidnapped are they?

Having said that it's a "security" job, which presumably must entail some risk in any event. I wouldn't want a job there securing the UK/US Embassies or anything. I'd quite happily protect a potted plant in a sealed room with no windows.

Similarly I wouldn't want to be a journo over there, especially if what I was reporting was being shown on Iraq TV - diplomatic (i.e. non-Islamic supportist) viewpoints might be looked upon unfavourably.

In pure exposure terms being a journo over there puts you in a more dangerous position than your average IT lacky would, if it were me certainly, would just get my head down and do the work, avoid public areas and generally be a shadow.

 

[Garaen]

Not a chance i would go out there. I value my life way to much

 

[old.Tohtori]

I suppose you are vindicated if you come home in one peice. It's a lot of money but even so a bunck of crazed iraqi's with AK47 after a peice of your ass, not sure if there is enough money

Better AK-47's then strap-ons.

I'd go for the cash, f*ck the danger.