Working in Iraq for KBR

[lhwkns]

I have noticed that a lot of posters here work in or have worked in Iraq. I am going to apply for an I.T. Desktop Analyst position with KBR this week and was wondering if anyone had any info on this position. I would like to know what the most dangerous aspects of this job are, and also will the job be on a military installation or with a private company??? I am interested in how KBR transports thier employees and how safe they are with them. Please, any advance advice is appreciated. Thanks! - Lhwkns

[Dreammy]

Originally Posted by lhwkns

I have noticed that a lot of posters here work in or have worked in Iraq. I am going to apply for an I.T. Desktop Analyst position with KBR this week and was wondering if anyone had any info on this position. I would like to know what the most dangerous aspects of this job are, and also will the job be on a military installation or with a private company??? I am interested in how KBR transports thier employees and how safe they are with them. Please, any advance advice is appreciated. Thanks! - Lhwkns

This group has many KBR members. It might be a good resource for you.


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/civiliansinraq/

[John Smith]

I am currently working for KBR in Iraq/Kuwait and have been since March 03. I can tell you KBR employees all work on military bases and especially the I.T. people are very well respected. They live well and travel safely, mostly by Air.

[millionairetobe71]

Originally Posted by lhwkns

I have noticed that a lot of posters here work in or have worked in Iraq. I am going to apply for an I.T. Desktop Analyst position with KBR this week and was wondering if anyone had any info on this position. I would like to know what the most dangerous aspects of this job are, and also will the job be on a military installation or with a private company??? I am interested in how KBR transports thier employees and how safe they are with them. Please, any advance advice is appreciated. Thanks! - Lhwkns

PM Lance, he can give details about it. If you were to ask me I would tell you that the job itself doesn't have any risk..You are not fighting with the pens and papers on your desk, nontheless KBR will not give you a weapon. Now, depending in which FOB (you will be very familiar with this term) you are, the transportation system is ok, and in some others, like in LSA Anaconda, is really reliable and as you said, KBR has a mean of transportation for its employees. Although KBR control ALL types of transportation in evey FOB though. You will be quite safe, just don't go out of the wire for anything and you will come back in one piece, otherwise, kiss your family goodbye....

[LakewayDaze!]

No you will not be going outside the base where you live or FOB (Forward Operating Base) as some like to call it. You will be going around fixing peoples printers and computers inside that FOB. So you will be fairly safe as long as a mortar or rocket doesnt fall too close to you. KBR usually flys their employees in and out of country, but they do use convoys from FOB to FOB on ocassion.

HookEM!!

[Laurali]

Believe it or not, I'm not going to take advantage of this opportunity to bash KBR as I so badly want to do whenever the opportunity presents itself. I will admit that it's killing me not to give in.

[LakewayDaze!]

Originally Posted by Laurali

Believe it or not, I'm not going to take advantage of this opportunity to bash KBR as I so badly want to do whenever the opportunity presents itself. I will admit that it's killing me not to give in.

I don't own KBR. Hey I worked for KBR for almost 2 yrs in IRAQ. It was a good experience for me and it did good things for my family and I. That's just my own experiece and I am sure others differ.

HookEM!!!

[Javabear]

Do whatever it takes to find a job with another company in Iraq! KBR sucks! I have worked for KBR at LSA Anaconda for the last 9 months and this place was named correctly because it is a snake pit! Don't turn your back on anyone or you'll find 3 or 4 knives in it. As far as transportation goes, KBR flys most everywhere, but convoys out to the FOB's are common and usually uneventful (I've been on several).

[Laurali]

Originally Posted by LakewayDaze!

I don't own KBR. Hey I worked for KBR for almost 2 yrs in IRAQ. It was a good experience for me and it did good things for my family and I. That's just my own experiece and I am sure others differ.

HookEM!!!

I can't say KBR was beneficial to me and my family financially, but their overall behavior towards hiring, employee placement, EEOC, justification of wastefulness and poor planning is far too much for most people to stomach, including the client. Unfortunately, KBR and the militiary realize that to replace them would not be cost effective at this point. All one has to do is look at the turnover rate and the number of their employees that walk around with a frown on their face, and constantly griping while eating in the dfac, to know there are issues there.

[panhead]

Originally Posted by Laurali

I can't say KBR was beneficial to me and my family financially, but their overall behavior towards hiring, employee placement, EEOC, justification of wastefulness and poor planning is far too much for most people to stomach, including the client. Unfortunately, KBR and the militiary realize that to replace them would not be cost effective at this point. All one has to do is look at the turnover rate and the number of their employees that walk around with a frown on their face, and constantly griping while eating in the dfac, to know there are issues there.

In the contract world, some assignments are good some not as good kinda part of the job description.

[s1rGr1nG0]

Originally Posted by Laurali

I can't say KBR was beneficial to me and my family financially, but their overall behavior towards hiring, employee placement, EEOC, justification of wastefulness and poor planning is far too much for most people to stomach, including the client. Unfortunately, KBR and the militiary realize that to replace them would not be cost effective at this point. All one has to do is look at the turnover rate and the number of their employees that walk around with a frown on their face, and constantly griping while eating in the dfac, to know there are issues there.

Ignore the naysayers! I work in IT with KBR at ***** near *****. It's a great camp and a great job. There will always be whiners and back stabbers anywhere you go. You just learn to deal with or avoid them all together.
I dealt with the same types when I was working IT back in the states. I have been in theater for 2 years and I have never been happier as I have since coming to this camp. It's not for everybody so take my reply with a grain of salt. All you can do is apply for the job and see for yourself. Some people like it and some don't.

[millionairetobe71]

I'm a soldier, so I do not kow anything about KBR.. But I will tell you that anywhere you go, you will find those who likes you and those who doesn't like you.....Now if you can survive to be here in Iraq, then you would be able to take on the rest....

[firedawg2000]

Originally Posted by lhwkns

I have noticed that a lot of posters here work in or have worked in Iraq. I am going to apply for an I.T. Desktop Analyst position with KBR this week and was wondering if anyone had any info on this position. I would like to know what the most dangerous aspects of this job are, and also will the job be on a military installation or with a private company??? I am interested in how KBR transports thier employees and how safe they are with them. Please, any advance advice is appreciated. Thanks! - Lhwkns

Check out PARSONS or FLUOR first for opportunities. They pay better and recruit better employees. They steal our best employees (KBR) from out here in Iraq and leave us with the crap! I know for sure that Fluor pays 60% uplift on EVERY HOUR WORKED including R&R pay. KBR only pays 55% uplift on the first 40 hours worked and 0% uplift on R&R's.

[jethrobodine]

correct, there are good and bad people everywhere, for whatever company you work for....hey, come on over here and see for yourself, and then if you do not like kbr or the people where you are, then market yourself out to something better....was at balad from march thru april 2004, a bad time, but things have become better and there are walls now where there was just wire...i am at biap now, and we still have mortars and rockets coming in....just keep your senses up, and do not get caught with the feeling i see so many have, jjust another day at work and nothing can happen...especially since i sleep next to the detention center....come over and get the money and especially the--DINAR!!! for your future investment capitol-gains.....enjoy

[Telalun]

I am also considering a job in IRAQ or even Afghanistan with KBR. I have checked the PARSONS page as well as the Bechtel and other contract companies over there and the job listings on their websites are few and far between. I have been applying for IT jobs with KBR since the reconstruction efforts began and have not recieved a phone call from anyone ever or been able to speak with a recruiter yet. I thought mostly this was because of the high volume of people applying and that I do not have any military. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[aviddigi]

I’m on the same boat, I have been trying for about a year now to get on with any company. All I can say is don’t give up, maybe something will happen. When I went to a recruiting event yesterday the line to talk with KBR went out the door but I waited. Just find a recruiting event and make sure your resume is good to go (mine needed some cleaning up) or get a PO Box in Texas.

[maliaeden]

Originally Posted by millionairetobe71

If you were to ask me I would tell you that the job itself doesn't have any risk..You are not fighting with the pens and papers on your desk, nontheless KBR will not give you a weapon...

Ok, so they won't GIVE you a weapon-- will they allow you to carry one of your own?

[Laurali]

I don't know of any KBR people that carry weapons, except some of the security folk. Not even ALL of security carry's a weapon. I may be wrong about that. Even then, I doubt their weapons are loaded. It's really not so bad out here nowadays. All of the fighting has turned within the cities, and not so much toward the camps like the earlier days.

[Javabear]

Originally Posted by maliaeden

Ok, so they won't GIVE you a weapon-- will they allow you to carry one of your own?

KBR policy is no weapons whatsoever. I have heard that some of the truck drivers are sometimes provided weapons by the military and most of the people I know that stay inside the wire carry knives.

[Telalun]

Originally Posted by aviddigi

I’m on the same boat, I have been trying for about a year now to get on with any company. All I can say is don’t give up, maybe something will happen. When I went to a recruiting event yesterday the line to talk with KBR went out the door but I waited. Just find a recruiting event and make sure your resume is good to go (mine needed some cleaning up) or get a PO Box in Texas.

I live in Texas and am attending a recruiting event Feb. 2, hopefully this will open more opportunities. I am even more considering working in Afghanistan than Iraq. I can cut vegetables and fill salt and pepper shakers as a kitchen assistant if need be. Right now I just need a job, being laid off for a couple of months has expidited my wifes approval of me going overseas to work.