A Real Civilian Contractor in Afghanistan That's Me Chuck Burns

Get your information about Overseas Contract Jobs from someone who worked there. I worked in Iraq for three years and then I worked in Afghanistan for over a year. There is a lot of interest in Overseas Contracting Jobs by job seekers looking for these high paying overseas jobs. The problem is that there are so many fake websites run by internet marketers who never worked as a civilian contractor in an overseas contract job. There are dozens of these websites written by internet marketers who only know what they read on the internet. The information they display is often taken from the few real sites and rewritten for the search engines. The problem for job seekers is filtering out fake websites from the real and informative websites.

My website, Overseas-Contract-Jobs.com, provides information that I gained from my own personal experience. I started my job search online and used Monster Jobs and Danger Zone Jobs to get started. I wrote my own resume and submitted it online to five different employers. It was one of the Danger Zone Jobs applications that hired me. The entire process took about six weeks. Within two weeks I had two phone interviews. Within 30 days after the phone interviews I was hired, attended two weeks of training and went through CSC training in Ft. Benning, Georgia. The hiring, training took place in June 2005 and on July 5, 2005 I was in Germany. It took almost a full week in Germany waiting for a flight to the Ali Al Salem base in Kuwait. I was in Kuwait living in a tent for several days waiting for a flight into Bagdad, Iraq. Once I finally arrived at Camp Victory in Baghdad, Iraq I lived in a tent for several months before getting a room.

I relate a little of my personal story so that you can see that I am the real deal. I actually worked in Iraq and in Afghanistan. I got my start using the Danger Zone Jobs website. Danger Zone Jobs was created by a civilian contractor who still runs the site today. Danger Zone Jobs has more valid information written by real civilian contractors that any other source.

Good luck on your search for an Overseas Job. It is not easy but it the job positions are available for those who work at it.

Overseas Contract Jobs Seekers Beware is a post from: Overseas Contract Jobs

For all civilian contractors and military personnel who have orders for deployment to overseas locations the department of Defense requires completion of the 7 day CRC training at Fort Benning, Georgia. To get an idea of what CRC is about read the following information from eHow;

“The CRC was set up to receive, process and prepare military members and certain civilian personnel when they travel to or return from an overseas theater. CRC training is aimed at preparing individuals, rather than units, for deployment. The Department of Defense refers to these people as Non Unit Related Personnel, or NRP. This also includes government contractors as well as people from other federal agencies and even the American Red Cross, when its people are serving the U.S. military”

“Part of CRC training consists of military and civilian personnel receiving theater-specific information before being sent to that theater. For example, if you were a soldier suddenly pulled for service in the Philippines and going without your unit, you’d first go to CRC training. Once there, you’d be given briefings on the country and what you’d be doing while there. You’d also be given the necessary clothing and other equipment you’d need while in the country.”

“CRC training is normally seven days long. It starts on Saturday mornings and finishes on Friday afternoons. Up to 400 people can go through it every week. Every person undergoing the training is assessed in a number of ways. This includes for medical and dental health. The seven days also includes training directly related to the location where the trainee is being sent. This is known as Theater Specific Individual Requirement Training, or TSIRT.” Read the complete article at eHow here.

Here is a blog post from the Danger Zone Jobs blog and website. It provides some helpful tips about the week at CRC and what to expect;

During CRC the following requirements are signed off:

Medical:  The medical portion consists of reviewing the extensive physical you completed prior to arriving at Fort Benning. Your physical should include an EKG, Shots and blood work. Ask the medical staff at the clinic to identify different parts of the physical so you can locate pertinent information to the medical staff at CRC. Be sure to arrive at CRC with a COMPLETE copy of your physical. The CRC processes over 400 people a week and often faxed copies of physicals get lost. This was the case with a co-worker of mine when the last seven pages did not transmit. Needless to say his deployment was delayed by a week costing him hundreds of dollars in lost salary.

Come to CRC with 2 pairs of glasses and 180 days worth of contacts if you need them. The medical staff ask to see these items, so be ready to produce them.

Be prepared to produce 90-180 days worth of meds you take regularly. Retirees check with TRICARE for a way to complete this requirement cheaply.

Dental:  Be sure to visit your dentist for a complete checkup to include X-Rays. Request a copy of the X-Rays. This will run you $70-$100. CRC may or may not check the X- Rays but it is much better to be prepared than not. You will need your dentist to sign the DD 2813 certifying that you are deployable. Bring a signed hard copy with you to the site. Again avoid fax roulette.

CAC Card Issue: If possible work with your company to set up an AKO account so that you can apply for your Common Access Card (CAC) before arriving at CRC. After your application has been submitted and approved you can go to any DOD facility and get the card. Your CAC card will allow you travel in and out of country on military transportation and access to the DFAC and PX. Be sure these privileges are annotated on the front and you do not have a green strip. If you are issued a CAC Card with a Green Strip you will need to show a Letter of Authorization (LOA) (same as orders in the military) each time you request entry into these facilities. If you forget your LOA after walking a half hour to the facility… You get the idea.

While at Fort Benning you will have the opportunity to receive your card. This will be a 4 hour process. The room is packed with people, is extremely hot and the DOD Civilians not all that friendly.

You get the point.

I-Pro: This requirement can be completed online via AKO. This requirement allows federal law enforcement and the military overseas to positively identify you should you be captured. Once complete, print off the certificate and bring with you to CRC. This will save you 2 hours of waiting in line for a 10 minute task.

CIF (Gear Issue) CIF is a fairly pain free process. Be sure to get properly fitted for your equipment. Do not allow the contractors running CIF to talk you into taking/not taking gear in order to make thing easy on them. INSIST on having equipment not issued properly deleted from your hand receipt. If you decide to change sizes, insist on the change being reflected on your hand receipt. You have to deal with the equipment for the year and will pay for the contractor’s laziness in both dollars and discomfort.

If you receive attitude ask to see their supervisor to resolve the issue.

Computer Based Training: The computer base training consists of about 15 PowerPoint slide presentations on veracious topics. The information is outdated. Just keep hitting return on the keyboard. Most people are through in about 30 minutes. Initial beside each class you have completed and ensure the contractor running the class stamps or signs off your form. Be sure to sign out on the roster sheets as well.

SERE 100 Training: Before going to CRC complete these video based courses online. If you have an AKO account you can access these classes. Ask your company for the links. Do not buy the line “You will do it at CRC”. Print off the certificate and bring with you to CRC. By completing the course ahead of time you will save 6 hours and have an afternoon off.

First Aid:  These are the best First Aid classes I have received. Pay attention. Well worth the 2/3rds of the day spent covering the material.

IED Awareness Training: This is 3 hours of death by PowerPoint. Why the contractor at CRC makes a completely interesting and dynamic topic boring, is beyond me. You just have to deal with it.” To read the original article on the DangerZoneJobs website click here.

CRC Training is a post from: Overseas Contract Jobs