Civilian Contractors

Nothing makes you appreciate the comforts and stability of the 1st world like a big ass explosion

Every Contractor I know cherishes their off time and leave rotations like a priceless gem. For so many reasons, it’s good to get away from work, see the family, and attend to your domestic responsibilities.

But there’s something else that’s often overlooked that should be appreciated quite a bit more; an ordered society and the rule of law.

As contractors we spend a great deal of our time working in environments where even the basics are hard to come by, and when we go home to “the Big PX” we ought take the time to realize what we are truly protecting alongside our military counterparts, and what we are a part of developing in those host countries that we serve in.

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Kidnapped South African Security Contractors Hardus Greef (left) and Johann Enslin (not pictured: Callie Scheepers and Andre Durant)

Thanks to Matt over at feraljundi for posting a link about this over on his Facebook account.

I remember hearing about this 3 and ½ years ago when I was in Iraq, whenever you hear about a fellow contractor who is killed or wounded it hits you in the gut – but nothing makes you feel a knot in your stomach like hearing about a fellow contractor who has been kidnapped by insurgents.

These guys have been missing for over 3 and ½ years – the US military needs to seriously step up their search for these brave men who were proudly supporting the US Military in Iraq.

In my opinion if these guys were active duty American soldiers the investigation into their kidnapping would not have become stagnant like it is now. Fucking shame on the “powers that be” in Iraq for not dedicating an entire team 24/7 – 365 to locating these men and other missing civilian contractors.

Both of the founders of DVM are veteran Civilian Contractors, along with the majority of our current staff. We felt it is important to help draw attention to this situation, generally we don’t re-post articles from other websites but this is a special circumstance – so below you can read the article in its entirety C&P from the Times Online (a UK media source).

Our hearts go out to the families of these men

Your fellow contractors have not forgotten you.

~DVM Mag Staff

Please Click Here to Read More About These Kidnapped Contractors >>>

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Have the mental edge to lead your own band of brothers

Team Leaders (TLs), let’s talk about the things that will make or break your mission or team.

The Red Zone is not a day on the flat range, or a lecture in an air conditioned class room. It’s a crucible that spits you out at the end with lessons learned, losses counted, and battles fought.

You need every edge you can get so when the mission boredom turns into something else and you compress your OODA Loop and get the job done.

Here’s a short list of observations and thoughts to help sharpen your mental edge and keep you and your Team of operators and keep you both from slipping off a cliff:

Continue Reading CIVILIAN CONTRACTORS: The Team Leader’s Mental Edge >>>

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Ex-military – does it really matter?

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This is a debate I have heard from my first day on a security contract when some ex-mil contractor asked me;

Ex-mil Contractor: “you ex-mil?”

James G.: “no dude”

Ex-mil Contractor: “how the hell did you get on this gig?”

James G.: “Smith* hooked me up”

Ex-mil Contractor: “you guys don’t have any place in this line of work, go home before you get someone killed”

James G.: “FUCK YOU DOG-RAPIST!”

Later I found out that this dude was ex-Army but he sat a desk the whole time as a photographer. Now I am by no means a “Bad Ass Village burning cigar chomping mercenary” but I am pretty sure that I am at least the equivalent of a guy who drove a desk for a few years in the military.

Don’t get me wrong, I do understand some high-risk jobs in security contracting do require a high-speed background. But I have to disagree with the argument “if you are not ex-military then you don’t have a place at all in OCONUS security contracting”.

Click Here to Read Some of the Arguments Against Non Ex-Military Working in the Security Contracting Industry >>>

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Have a nice Career – or not if you are an asshole

Many guys who enter the civilian contractor job circuit go in with the mindset it will be a one time 12 month thing – make some bread and then go back to working in the states. But it rarely ends up like that, the fat paychecks, casual lifestyle and making classic contractor mistakes will undoubtedly turn your 12 month run into a 10 year career.

The only way to have longevity in this business is by making friends, friends = jobs. If you act like an asshat no one will forward that email to you from a recruiter looking for guys.

Now I am a bit of an arrogant ass but I don’t treat people like shit, act like I am the toughest dude on planet earth or stab my fellow contractors in the back. Because I am generally liked by my former coworkers I get a few emails a week about jobs.

Every time I see some dude on a contract sucking cock and stabbing his fellow contractors in the back just to get promoted into an unpaid supervisor position all I can do is laugh.

Why do I think it’s funny?

Click Here to Continue Reading Nice Guy Contractors Finish First >>>

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