phrogpilot73
Well-Known Member
Or perhaps a pilot that works for Sikorsky. If you had that job, why would you want to go overseas??
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Blackwater Helo down in Iraq
- Thread starter ChuckMK23
- Start date
It is nasty business. One of the pilots killed was from my guard unit. Very experienced guy.
They get paid the big money for a reason. And there is also a reason their mins. are 3500 hour and prefer 160th guys. It is dangerous work.
They get paid the big money for a reason. And there is also a reason their mins. are 3500 hour and prefer 160th guys. It is dangerous work.
Big: You know I love you, younger Bruddah .. but they aren't Mercs ... they do a job the government won't let you do ... believe it.
From Associated Press:
"....[FONT=Verdana,Sans-serif]U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, meanwhile, offered condolences for the five Americans killed in the helicopter crash in Baghdad, called them good men and said he had traveled with them. The aircraft, belonging to the Blackwater USA security company, went down as it flew over a dangerous Sunni neighborhood while a gunfight was raging.
Confusion still cloaked the circumstances of the crash.
A senior Iraqi military official said a machine gunner downed the helicopter and four of the men were shot execution-style on the ground, but a U.S. military official in Washington said there were no indications the aircraft had been shot out of the sky. Three Sunni insurgent groups separately claimed responsibility for the crash, with one posting on its Web site the ID cards of one of the Americans.
In Washington, a U.S. defense official said four of the five were shot in the back of the head, but he did not know whether they were alive when shot. The defense official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record.
The helicopter went down after racing to help a U.S. Embassy ground convoy that came under fire in a neighborhood on the east side of the Tigris, said a U.S. diplomatic official in Washington.The doomed helicopter swooped into electrical wires before the crash. U.S. officials said it was not clear if gunfire brought down the aircraft or caused its pilot to veer into the wires during evasive maneuvers.
A second helicopter also was struck, but there were no casualties among its crew, said the diplomatic official, who spoke anonymously because he was not authorized to make statements.
An American official in Baghdad, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said three Blackwater helicopters were involved. One had landed for an unknown reason and one of the Blackwater employees was shot at that point, he said. That helicopter apparently was able to take off but a second one then crashed in the same area, he added without explaining the involvement of the third helicopter. It was unclear whether the wounded employee survived. ...."
They ain't Mercs ... they're you and I ....
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Well, when I told one of their recruiters I was considering staying in because I was eligible for the 25K/yr bonus, he told me "Dude, you'll make more than that on per diem in a year." There is a base salary, with incremental increases contingent on how much you spend OCONUS. They have no (or little) use for CONUS based pilots. Some of my buds are pulling in mid 100s'.
Again, my wife and kids would rather live on E-5 retirement than a great death gratuity.
busi·ness –noun
1. an occupation, profession, or trade: His business is poultry farming.
2. the purchase and sale of goods in an attempt to make a profit.
3. a person, partnership, or corporation engaged in commerce, manufacturing, or a service; profit-seeking enterprise or concern.
"Blackwater USA consists of five separate business units....."
http://209.183.221.44/about/
Blackwater is a business. Business's exist to make money. Simple as that.....
1. an occupation, profession, or trade: His business is poultry farming.
2. the purchase and sale of goods in an attempt to make a profit.
3. a person, partnership, or corporation engaged in commerce, manufacturing, or a service; profit-seeking enterprise or concern.
"Blackwater USA consists of five separate business units....."
http://209.183.221.44/about/
Blackwater is a business. Business's exist to make money. Simple as that.....
So are NG and Boeing and we depend on their services every day in this war, but nobody is playing chicken little over their role and profit motive. I don't see what all the fuss is about.
Brett
thull
Well-Known Member
Am I correct in thinking these private companies come along, recruit people right out of the military then hire them back to do essentially what they were doing before for a shit ton more money? After the military has taken the pains to train them and make them what they are? And why does that strike me as wrong as well as a huge disservice to the military and the taxpayer??
Boeing and Northrop Grumman are not playing soldier.......
I think you could argue this angle from any skill one acquires from being in the military. Some folks don't do a whole 20+ year career. They get out and use the skills they learned and make a living. Air traffic controllers, military police, interpreters, interrogators, pilots, etc.
I think it's money well spent.
thull
Well-Known Member
yes, but I'm talking about people who don't "leave the military to do something else", but instead, leave the military to get hired right back into doing what they were doing with the military, but now they're "private" and instead of making $80 K they're making $180K.
That's right ... and if you don't like it ... why don't you talk to your elected representatives and suggest they address it and FIX IT ... ??? 'Cause they are the enablers (by virtue of sanctioning a too small military if we are going to continue to police the world and have worldwide responsibilities and interests ) and they are the ones who created this growth market in America ...
Blackwater doesnt take guys out of the military, but they do have a networking group of headhunters that use their connections and friends to find potential. Basically if you knew your sh!t in a Special Forces type MOS, chances are somebody at Blackwater you used to work with knows about it and might come calling when you think about getting out.