Quoted: damn, they must be hurting for bodies. didn't their criteria use to be sf, seal, recon, etc?

There are only so many teir-one types lying around.  Most did their time made their money and go back as trainers where there's less flying lead.

Thanks, Ragnar. Reckon that answers that.

Quoted: The tax thing is not "IRS  BS" or even difficult to understand, it is very simple and 5 minutes of searching on the net will turn up the answers. Last time I looked you need to be gone 330 days out of 365 to get a good year, that gets you your first 85,000 tax free. The numbers change slightly (the amount you get tax free keeps going up)

The time spent outside the USA is one test.  However, the USA doesn't end at our borders.  Things like embassies, US flagged ships, oil rigs, etc. are considered being in the US for the purposes of this reuqirement.

You could also go for the residency test which is based on intent.  So, if you never intend to return to US then you don't have to meet the time requirement, but still could get the tax benefit.

Might have missed it.. just read few pages... but as far as pay goes around 130k a year for tatical medics.

fwiw, my dad is a tax attorney/CPA...he spent much of his career doing international taxation for American ex-Pats. (think actors, musicians, etc)

it's not as cut-and-dried as a day test...there are many factors involved; that's why there's big money to be made doing this kind of tax work.

My buddy just finished his second and LAST for Triple Canopy doing "armed security".  They cut his pay AFTER he got there by 15% and still insisted he live up to the contract.  They of course did not live up to their end and pay him what they agreed too.

Companies like Blackwater are hoping to hire the marginally skilled for considerably less than what they are paying their current highly skilled staff.  There is a glut of security and guys coming from south america and eastern europe work for less.  There is a price war.  Many state department contracts are for a fixed weekely wage based on 12 hours a day, six days a week.  You on the other hand will be working 12 hours a day or more and seven days a week.  

It sounds like fun, until you are required to work with locally aquired Iraqi cowards who will betray you at the drop of a hat and you find out they can turn you over to local authorities who will charge you with murder for shooting the wrong terrorist.

My buddy has three tours as a contractor, he is not contracting anymore.  He says it is changing for the worse, lower pay, fewer arms, more risk.  Remember that when you get there and have to rely on Chilean back-up guys and Iraqis for support and you do not speak either spanish or arabic.

So what happens if you don't pass the course ? Do you know owe BW 20K ? It is kinda wierd though,the .gov paying BW BIG MONEY for security duties,and the soldiers who take a shitload more risks get paid 90K less.I wonder what the .gov spends on firms like BW compared to the payroll for all the troops there now ?

Something isn't right.I would think there would be a certain amount of resentment coming from soldiers towards these highly paid security guards.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: So where do you live while you're there (aside from in the field)? In the field!! This ain't no girls finishin' school, swabbie!! Yeah. I'm sure they spend eight weeks living in a swamp with their families. It was an honest question. Anyone know the answer?

No.

Quoted: My buddy just finished his second and LAST for Triple Canopy doing "armed security".  They cut his pay AFTER he got there by 15% and still insisted he live up to the contract.  They of course did not live up to their end and pay him what they agreed too. Companies like Blackwater are hoping to hire the marginally skilled for considerably less than what they are paying their current highly skilled staff.  There is a glut of security and guys coming from south america and eastern europe work for less.  There is a price war.  Many state department contracts are for a fixed weekely wage based on 12 hours a day, six days a week.  You on the other hand will be working 12 hours a day or more and seven days a week.   It sounds like fun, until you are required to work with locally aquired Iraqi cowards who will betray you at the drop of a hat and you find out they can turn you over to local authorities who will charge you with murder for shooting the wrong terrorist. My buddy has three tours as a contractor, he is not contracting anymore.  He says it is changing for the worse, lower pay, fewer arms, more risk.  Remember that when you get there and have to rely on Chilean back-up guys and Iraqis for support and you do not speak either spanish or arabic.

Interesting.  

I wonder how long till they have some sort of citizenship grant to attract these guys from other countries.

Quoted: So what happens if you don't pass the course ? Do you know owe BW 20K ? It is kinda wierd though,the .gov paying BW BIG MONEY for security duties,and the soldiers who take a shitload more risks get paid 90K less.I wonder what the .gov spends on firms like BW compared to the payroll for all the troops there now ? Something isn't right.I would think there would be a certain amount of resentment coming from soldiers towards these highly paid security guards.

Then can resent all the want. I know when I was in, I asked to do what I was doing. No one forced me.

A citizenship program would be kind of useless in that the money is more than enough of an attraction. Think of it this way, most of these guys come from second-world or former east block countries where the average income is along the lines of $6K a year or something. Suddenly, they can go make $50-80K in a year working for a contractor. When they do go back home after a couple years, they are literally set for life if they work it right. Make no mistake, the TCNs do make considerably less than US personnel do, the company I work for pays about 40% less to TCNs.


Oh, and as far as pay goes, it usually will work out to be around $20 an hour for a US civvie. They pay a base wage hourly, but then add on a "uplift" package that includes a pecentage for overseas living, a percentage for shitty (not their word) living conditions, and a hazardous duty percentage. All that on top of your base will bump you up to the $100K+.

American contractors living overseas go tax free all of the time. I think they can spend up to 30 days a year back in the states. I think this only applies to contractors and not GS or Military.
Nothing unusual about the tax free deal at all.

Quoted: Damn. Talk about TEMPTING! Reckon I'd need to lose about 30 pounds first, but to be taught and then work with the guys who make up that bunch? Damn! And $120K is a good 33% more than I make now, and it's mostly, if not all, tax-free (overseas work).

The first $80k is tax free, (as long as you are out of the U.S. 330 days during the year from the time you leave), everything else is taxed normally.

ETA: Ragnar pretty much summed it up. I just processed to come back to Kuwait this past June and I was told the tax free amount was still $80k, BUT, that could have changed.

Can they guarantee SIMPLYDYNAMIC will by wingman ?

Quoted: Interesting.   I wonder how long till they have some sort of citizenship grant to attract these guys from other countries.

H-1B visa application:  

Profession:  Trigger puller




Seriously though, this program already exists.  It's call enlisting in the US army.  You get a fast track for citizenship.

Quoted: I find it interesting how some of you whine and lement about how you wish you could be back in the military over there fighting Haji, for military pay.  But when it comes to doing the same thing for 120k a year for a private contractor it's not worth the money......

In the Blackwater, if you get blowed up, you are blowed up. In the mil, you get all the pay and blowed up benefits. Also a nice purple heart to show your grandkids.

All you keyboard commandos go back to playing your counterstrike now and stop dreaming. If you think you will pass based on the minimum requirements, think again. If you barely pass now, in the academy you will be sucking wind. You will be a liability to other team members and begiven the dunce cap and sent home. Slacker

I wonder if the G.I. Bill would cover the BW Academy tuition?

It doesn't.  

Jeez..lay off hte internet commandos!!

first off, without them we wouldn't have this site.

Two, you're talking about yourselves for Chrissakes!!

Three, you sound SOOOO tough talking about them on here.

Quoted: Quoted: I] In the Blackwater, if you get blowed up, you are blowed up. In the mil, you get all the pay and blowed up benefits. Also a nice purple heart to show your grandkids.

Not quite, all US contractors working on US gov contracts should be covered by gov approved disability.

As far as third country nationals (chileans, salvadorians, etc) they are not driving down the prices, thet are not in competition for the same jobs. They do fixed site security. The majority of the contracts now require US citizenship, they won't even allow Canadians and such.

The wage is stabilizing, if the quality of people goes too far down and DSS determines the contracts cannot be fulfilled with that quality of people, the companies will have to raise wages to get the right people to fulfill the contract.


As far as taxes we were talking about contractors, not US gov employees living on US soil (embassy), and once again it IS simple and doesn't cost a lot for an accuntant to do it. Besides myself I know hundreds of guys and know of hundreds more that seems to be able to find an accountant to do it.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Would be FUN, but it doesn't pay enough. ??? I thought the contractor guys were making some mad cash over there... Unless you're loaded! Party at f4yr's house!   I belive about $120k if I am not mistaken.  If you go over for 8 months that is only about $20 an hour for gambling with your life. Like I said, doesn't pay enough.

yeah and those dumb ass guys in the US Army Marines Air Force Navy are even more stupid aren't they

Quoted: I wonder if the G.I. Bill would cover the BW Academy tuition?

Nope, itsin the FAQ on the website.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: $85k is tax free.  I'll be submitting my resume. lol thats a lot of class 3's You would risk your life to buy some m16's? Shit I would hope you would have a better reason than that for the money, like a family to support of a home to buy or something. Having money for guns doesnt mean shit when your dead.

yeah so if you're doing it for your country you're even dumber yet.......

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I wonder what the physical requirements would be. 24.9 or less on the National Institute of Health body mass index test.  sorta crappy, since I was higher than that when I graduated basic training. all it does is ask your height and weight.  the test was designed around somalians or something. That whole standard is a fucking joke, it doesn't account for a specific mass, such as muscle vs. fat. They need to revamp that system at least with a caliper fat test to get something even logical for a human that lifts weights. Joke, just a joke that our federal medical standards follow.

Hah, you said it.  I come in slightly over 30 BMI, and I can walk through their final requirements, much less their pathetic entry requirements.

Quoted: Hah, you said it.  I come in slightly over 30 BMI, and I can walk through their final requirements, much less their pathetic entry requirements.

Damn. I feel low.