Mercs Training in Subic for Iraq

[Monseratto]

THis is the same company who lost 4 mercs in Iraq. They were burned, chopped-up and hanged on a bridge.


Blackwater USA to open facilities in California, Philippines

MOYOCK, N.C. - Fast-growing private military company Blackwater USA is expanding westward.

Blackwater executives say they plan to soon open a branch facility in southern California and a jungle survival skills training center on the site of the former Subic Bay naval base in the Philippines.

Both projects will be smaller versions of Blackwater's 7,000-acre compound in Camden and Currituck counties, where thousands of military and law enforcement personnel come each year for training. The company says it is the largest tactical training facility in the United States, if not the world.

The eight-year-old company has enjoyed phenomenal growth, winning hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of federal contracts to provide security and training services in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere around the world.

Chris Taylor, Blackwater's vice president for strategic initiatives, referred to the planned facility in southern California as "Blackwater West." He did not specify where it will be or when it will open.

In the Philippines, Blackwater President Gary Jackson said, the company has acquired about 25 acres at Subic Bay and will have access to thousands of acres of adjacent jungle for conducting jungle environment survival training, known by the acronym JEST.

Subic Bay, once the largest U.S. military base in Asia, was closed by the Navy and turned over to the Philippines in 1992. It is now a commercial and industrial zone known as Subic Bay Freeport.

Earlier this spring, Blackwater announced it is moving its aviation division from Florida to Camden County. Plans call for a 6,000-foot runway and a 20,000-square-foot hangar to accommodate 22 rotary and fixed-wing aircraft.

The company has nearly 400 permanent employees and maintains a database of 14,000 independent contractors (AKA Mercenaries), most of them former military or law enforcement personnel, who make up its security teams.

Six weeks ago, Blackwater Vice Chairman Cofer Black said the company is interested in creating a small army for hire- a brigade-size force that could be contracted for peacekeeping and stability operations in troubled regions of the world.

[chua_riwap]

Nasa news yan lately. Meron na ngang mga ex-PNPs na naroon na ngayon working as Private Security Escorts ng mga "big shots" sa Iraq.

Pero ang suweldo US$ 1,700.00 lang? Considering na nasa Iraq ka, dapat mas malaki ang bigay. Buhay mo na nakataya rito.

[Monseratto]

Nasa news yan lately. Meron na ngang mga ex-PNPs na naroon na ngayon working as Private Security Escorts ng mga "big shots" sa Iraq.

Pero ang suweldo US$ 1,700.00 lang? Considering na nasa Iraq ka, dapat mas malaki ang bigay. Buhay mo na nakataya rito.

Hmmm. after we lose most of our nurses, doctors and teachers, we will loose also our men in uniform to foreigners...

[OTEP]

It's a job. How the locals will react to it, I don't know. Considering the nature of the job, the pay is quite low. But is still relatively better than serving with the government.

Blackwater is kind of a security agency on steroids.

[oldblue]

$1,700 salary is too low. sana naman lakihan nila para naman worth it. although the training siguro is worth it, if it's free.

[russpogi]

Eto website nila: Blackwater USA

[redorange]

If they are offering the uniformed people in the Philippines only $1700 per month then they are getting them cheap. Dyncorp, a similar company to Blackwater, recruited one of my co-workers and they offered him $15,000 per month base pay for a year in Afghanistan with 1 month vacation every 3 months and they will fly him where ever he wants to go for vacation. He turned it down because he had just come back from a 90 day tour in Iraq w/ our agency. BTW, in the US if you work for these firms with US govt contracts and you stay in Iraq or Afghanistan for a year the income is Federal tax exempt. I know guys who have come back with almost $500,000 after 2-3 tours being body guards.

[empy]

i watched an article over here that said revenues for private security contractors in Iraq is going to reach a billion dollars a year. i also saw blind interviews where the mercs say that they are "doing it for their family" and that they will be set with enough money to buy a house and set up a business after as little as 1-2 years on the job.

of course, there are the obvious risks. the merc who was interviewed referred to his job as being a "bullet sponge". and there is a high degree of danger every minute you're on the job.

what is USD $1,700 a month? if i'm doing that math right, that's a little bit more than PHP 1.1M a year. is that enough for a typical pinoy ex-policeman or soldier to set up his family for life? if so, it might be tempting for to some people.

[redorange]

Like I said they are getting them cheap. I wanted to send my resume and do 2 years my wife had agreed to it already, but then she realized the danger involved so she used her veto power. Would have been nice though, 3 months on duty then spend 1 month in the Philippines then fly back on duty. After 2 years have the house paid off here and rent it out then fly back to the Philippines to retire or start a business. Hmm..I wonder if they are looking for intructors to teach in the Philippines?

[mazdamazda]

i also saw CNN's report on private security contractors.

though $1,700 (if you are based here in the Philippines) is a L-O-T of money.

[FrankDrebin]

Do they have an opening for a non-combatant position? :D

[uls]

Pag ex-US military ka, u get paid more as a private security escort than when u were serving in the US military.

There is some resentment among the US soldiers towards the private security people coz they get paid more and they dont have to answer to the chain of command.


Go to where the money is. The US govt is spending $$BILLION$$ in Iraq. Contractors are raking it in.

Tama lang naman na we get part of that.... we have lots of people willing to work in Iraq. Para lalo lumaki ang dollar earnings natin. hehe

[boybi]

di ba bawal pumunta sa Iraq ang Philippine passport holders?

[uls]

pero u can easily get into Iraq. From Dubai, Saudi etc... u can get recruited there and then brought to Iraq

[rsnald]

Do they have an opening for a non-combatant position? :D

meron daw... tagahila ng M1 Abrams tank at taga tulak ng tumirik na humvee jeep hehehe

the $1,700 pay is way too tempting to resist for ordinary non-commissioned officers and perhaps even the lower ranking military and police officials. wala pa yatang P20,000 sweldo ng mga yan, allowances included. $1,700 easily translates to P90,000/month at P53=1$1.00. Magkano kaya insurance coverage nila? nung marinig ko sa radyo yung interview, baka daw ipapatay ng mga misis nila yung babaero nilang mister sa Iraq para ma-claim yung insurance. double whammy effect... todas na yung sakit sa ulo na si mister... naka claim pa ng insurance

[Karding]

i watched an article over here that said revenues for private security contractors in Iraq is going to reach a billion dollars a year. i also saw blind interviews where the mercs say that they are "doing it for their family" and that they will be set with enough money to buy a house and set up a business after as little as 1-2 years on the job.

of course, there are the obvious risks. the merc who was interviewed referred to his job as being a "bullet sponge". and there is a high degree of danger every minute you're on the job.

what is USD $1,700 a month? if i'm doing that math right, that's a little bit more than PHP 1.1M a year. is that enough for a typical pinoy ex-policeman or soldier to set up his family for life? if so, it might be tempting for to some people.

with the lower operating cost (pinoy mercs), revenue is definitely going to be higher as predicted.

meron daw... tagahila ng M1 Abrams tank at taga tulak ng tumirik na humvee jeep hehehe

the $1,700 pay is way too tempting to resist for ordinary non-commissioned officers and perhaps even the lower ranking military and police officials. wala pa yatang P20,000 sweldo ng mga yan, allowances included. $1,700 easily translates to P90,000/month at P53=1$1.00. Magkano kaya insurance coverage nila? nung marinig ko sa radyo yung interview, baka daw ipapatay ng mga misis nila yung babaero nilang mister sa Iraq para ma-claim yung insurance. double whammy effect... todas na yung sakit sa ulo na si mister... naka claim pa ng insurance

contractors such as BWO are cashing in. They were given billions in contracts where a typical US recruited merc should get paid $110,000 a year. Tapos $20,400 a year lang ang Pinoy mercs?!

teka, paano ako napunta sa thread na 'to?! :evillaugh

[nasty]

yung mercz na US recruits lang ata binibigyan ng $110,000/year eh. Plus they are issued one (1) Brand new M4 with Blackwater USA marking and one (1) Brand New Glock 19 as their standard weapon. sweeet....

[Karding]

yung mercz na US recruits lang ata binibigyan ng $110,000/year eh.

Like I said.

[the_wildthing]

$1,700 is low.

One could get that working right in the Philippines without any bullets flying by.

[Camgen6]

Nasa news yan lately. Meron na ngang mga ex-PNPs na naroon na ngayon working as Private Security Escorts ng mga "big shots" sa Iraq.

Pero ang suweldo US$ 1,700.00 lang? Considering na nasa Iraq ka, dapat mas malaki ang bigay. Buhay mo na nakataya rito.

I'm sure Base pay lang yun, meron ding Danger pay, Combat Pay etc...tax free pa considering nasa war zone ka.