Long Read Warning! BW pay rates, incentives and contractor salaries.

[Sinatra877]

The Imperial War Council surprised me and called me earlier today.

I was asked something by my Samurai Lord Retainer at the Imperial Chambers in Moyock. He asked me if I knew anyone that wouldn't mind toting a Hadjii shooter over in my short trip. He also said that they had to pass all the qualifications as well. I was told my temporary gig was from late October until at least late November. I'm sure that they would keep us longer past the Ramadan holdiday. Everyone wants to get home for Christmas to see their kids and most likely because of this, I'll be asked to fill in slots as the low man on the totem pole before they come back home. I assume it will take me until late January 2008 to get home. I on the other hand will probably request to go back to Afghanistan after taking a month off to get my home set it up for isolation. An Afghanistan contract for a year contract is paying at $180-$190k, and that'll keep my 2008 schedule pretty full but I need the work anyway. I don't make diddly squat on my fat ass at home. I'd still would rather work for $150 a day w/o incentives or per diem in the states as as a steady job rather going out, coming back, go back out and then sit on my ass with no prospects for six months. It's unsettling. It's almost as bad as commission sales.

Interesting job information and factors for BW Employees & Contracts.

For a PSD, it pays roughly $180k a year, which averages $492.80 a day at 365.25 days a year. Holidays don't exist in the company but they do pay holiday bonus incentives are very good. All recognized US holidays, meaning, Easter Holiday, MLK day, 4th of July and Labor Day, pays an additonal $500 and bonus' for Thanksgiving and Christmas bonus' are well paid. Thanksgiving bonus' are about $3k for the four day period from the Thanksgiving day too that following Sunday. The Christmas Holidays period are paid for Christmas Eve too end of the business day New Year's Day pays out an additional $5K.

On top of that, you have a million dollar life insurance policy, there is a pay match of 4% for an individual 402k plan or if you wish to join their 401k plan. Medical, which includes shrinks, ears and eyes and Dental Services are completely covered and that's alot better than most Fortune 500 Companies. I think BW is on the Fortune 500 list anyway. Worker's Compensation pays half if you can't do the job after you get hurt at 50% of your last annual contracted payrate. So guys that lost a leg in a IED attack and can't do the job anymore are living at home with a guaranteed $90K a year. I don't know if that is taxable or not. You will be on a three month on, one month off rotation. Locations vary depending on your individual contract. They rotate the schedule like that so you won't get burnt out and they'll pay for your transportation to the Area of Operations and back home or the monetary equivalent.

I've used the time but I never came back too the States unless I had too because of the 330 consecutive days tax exemption. I have taken my month off in Europe, friendly Arab nations like Egypt, Yemen, UAE and Jordan. Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Kuwait are far more expensive to live at for a month. I just get a small reputable suite at the Hilton or Holiday Inn. PMC companies routinely get package deals in more popular destinations for their PMC's and will have it structured in a payment too one of the more popular areas to take care of us. Since we'd be saving them money flying from there back too the States and back again. They will also pay the rest of the balance in cash for the monies in excess remaining from the ticket from there too the States and back.

I would take the time throughout the three months on the roster and set it up to make arrangements online and send a ticket too a female aquaintance here in the states. Most areas are pretty cheap, especially in the former Eastern Block countries. Kosovo is private and you can buy a medium sized brothel for a small amount for a month. I knew a few guys that went to Amsterdam and all they did was stay drunk and hung out by the red light district. You only get one month, so why waste time when you can get to the heart of the hunt right away?

If you are paid for a one year contract you will gross $180k If you stay outside the US for 330 consecutive days, the first $80K is not taxable but the remaining $100k will. So 30% of the remaining $100k will give you $70k remaining. Add $70k and the first $80k are yours which totals an even net of$150k for a year. Add in the additional $30 per diem monies for a food/equipment allowance multiplied with 365.25 days that'll come too $10,957.50 and with the $10k bonus' and incentives, add all that and your Gross take home will be around $170,957.50 . Of course you have to make subtractions of the per diem of $30 a day and the one month every three months based off of a 30-day leave. So that's $30 times 30 days ($900) multiplied by three months ($2,700) and the daily pay at $492.80 a day times 30 days($14,784.00), times three ($44,352.00), so, from the way we calculated this, a total of <$47,052.00>. You actually bring home, actual net pay after one year working the rotation is: $123,905.50

Here's some info if you want to play...

http://www.blackwaterusa.com/employment/contract.asp

and for PSD work, my area of specialty...

http://www.blackwaterusa.com/employment/contract_position_securityspecialist.asp

[Sinatra877]

Here's the down side. You cannot secure a actual workplace. Unless you have it on contract and I don't even have that luxury yet after five years with them. Everyone stages in Kuwait and then is flown into Baghdad International by military aircraft or worse, driven. Once you process, you will be issued your equipment and then placed in a pool for assignment depending on your skill specialty. I contract out as a PSD or Instructor. The instructor job is pretty nice. But you'll stay in the area all the time and you get stir crazy since it's a secured area and your AO will catch a mortar once in awhile. It's just the nature of the beast. PSD work can move you from point A too B in a hearbeat. You can never use the same road more than once every three days or so and you can be lodged with a field flunkie that pissed off the Chief of Station at bumfuck nowhere with no toilet paper or you can luck out with the higher ranking ones like Dr. Rice and stay somewhere in relative comfort. PSD's have to deal with the WTF situations so everything is done tongue in cheek and you get pinged at almost every other day. Some days you think you're ripping off the Bank. Some days you feel that you're not being paid enough. If you die by suicide, the insurance doesn't pay out. They had a guy go off the deep end four years ago and did the Hemingway Special with his M4. His family lost everything. If you get killed, your family gets paid the remaining balance of your work to the day you get killed so if you die in seven days, your next of kin gets the seven days pay and they'll have to submit it for the taxes. There is no such thing for a contractor's body being shipped back. You get cremated and your ashes gets shoveled in a glorified tupperwar container and sent to your next of kin.

You have to sign multiple waivers that you or your family cannot sue. That is in debate now since those guys families from the Fallujuah fiasco is suing. You will also sign a waiver of understanding that the occupation is deadly and that you are aware of the dangers and therefore cannot hold the injuries you suffered against them. All your personal property is also signed off meaning that if you die, we split up your gear. All information on specific actions are considered confidential, classified or secret unless given the permission to release it. Which is punishable by 20 years, death and/or a $100k fine.

You just can't post pictures of the teams and/or personnel publicly and all electronic and paper information can be confiscated under guidelines for National Security. We all protect our identities and faces to keep our heads on our shoulders and protect our DoS & DoD clearances that way. Some of the guys have civilian agency clearances which is intense. Some clearances are higher than TS/Top Secret and it costs the companies, not the agencies, nearly $100k to do one applicant, from H.S. too the present. So it's a major investment plus any clearances made mandatory by the Iraqi or Afghani/Pakastani Ministries of Corruption. It's almost like killing off a pilot. A million dollars are spent over the three years when they learn how to fly a specific aircraft but they can't be replaced easily.

You will be notified that you are subject to enemy bounty hunting and have to sign a waiver that you undertand the consequences. You also will have to sign a waiver not to hold the US government responsible for your death and/or kidnapping and that you and your family will not require them to negotiate for your return. You are told that you are expendable and are not covered under Geneva Conventions as dictated in Rules of Warfare. Foriegn PMC's/Private Military Contractors in general and BW contractors, or guards as we are called on TV have a $150k bounty on our heads. In both Iraq and Afghanistan. If we are caught alive it is an additional $50k because they can behead us on Al Jereeza and use it for propoganda. Dedicated Marksman bounties are $200k. BW Dog's are $25K a piece, and their handlers are another $50k and if you are except Black or White that's another $50K. If you are an Arab translator shoot yourself first before they get you, they encourage Jihadists' to kill them after a good torture session and worth an additonal $50k. They will also secure information from the local translator about their family and try to kill them. That's why Arab translator's faces are always obscured.

Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to have a Type A, Alpha Male mentality to thrive in this type of work. I know that I'm not unless it is provoked. Thankfully I know how my own switch works and can turn on the A in me. There are too many of them anyway.

BTW: CBnL...I got the hint from my buddy on what may be happening soon. I know you like researching the conspiracy stuff so dig into the backstory if you can. I'm getting the feeling that Pakistan may be our next destination...I can't elaborate more than that but I think it has to do with Bhutto returning back from exile and becoming a threat to President/Dictator Mushaaraf. Who knows? If you have some secret squirrel websites that you visit, please PM me with them OK? I'd really like to see the opinions or any verified information they would have.

[Sinatra877]

Anyone interested in playing in the sandbox? Anyone...anybody? Bueller, Bueller, Bueller...

[jkroner659]

One of the requirements is you must be a ex military of certain types...it's not like the avg. joe can waltz in and pass a physical test and off they send ya;)

[Toecutter1201]

Sure, why the fuck not! where do i sign?:crossbones:

[Sinatra877]

Sure, why the fuck not! where do i sign?:crossbones:

We'll have a good time. You can get some payback too.

[Sinatra877]

One of the requirements is you must be a ex military of certain types...it's not like the avg. joe can waltz in and pass a physical test and off they send ya;)

Being ex military will give you the basic combat arms skills necessary to build upon.