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DEL.ICIO.USGetting ‘em into Iraq
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait — The big man’s voice is booming, so all eyes turn toward him.
It’s Joe Reilly, a 6-foot-3, barrel-chested man from Valdosta with a shock of gray-white hair.
Jeremy Redmon/AJC
Joe Reilly is a retired Air Force master sergeant.
He is commanding soldiers, State Department workers, contractors and journalists to step away from their luggage so a dog can sniff it for trouble. A cargo plane is waiting for them in the early morning darkness.
Reilly is the last man many people see before they enter Iraq these days. He helps arrange their flights for Kellogg Brown & Root, a large U.S. military contractor operating all over the war-torn country.
“We want to welcome you to Chrome 28,” he ceremoniously told a recent group of passengers, identifying the call sign for their flight.
Reilly barks out his instructions beside a large, graffiti-scarred wooden table. His desert combat boots scrape through the gray gravel dotted with dozens of cigarette butts, some his. He speaks to his passengers in the same commanding tone, no matter if they are enlisted soldiers or officers, low-rung government workers or high-ranking diplomats. He is trying to keep things running smoothly. No time for pleasantries.
Reilly didn’t start out with this job. He drove trucks for KBR after the U.S. invasion, carrying food and supplies from Kuwait to Baghdad. He swears he won’t do it again.
At first, the Iraqis welcomed the truck drivers, he said. Then some months passed and they started throwing rocks at them, cutting their fuel lines and stealing their gas caps. KBR has had 77 workers killed in Iraq, he said, including seven who were ambushed in a convoy. He went home to Georgia in May of last year.
“I had enough,” said Reilly, 48, a retired Air Force master sergeant, who is married with two grown children.
A buddy lured Reilly back with a new job as an air cargo specialist for KBR. He freely admits he is in the Middle East for the “fantastic” pay, not for any grand ideas of helping Iraqis. He does just about everything as part of his job: draw up passengers lists, pack luggage on pallets and hand out earplugs.
And as far as Iraq is concerned, he doesn’t plan to go back. Ever.
“I promised my family I wouldn’t,” he said. “I’m not going to put that on them and make them worry. I did my time.”
And with that, Reilly goes back to work. He has passengers waiting for the gut-churning flight into Iraq. They want to go where he doesn’t. They haven’t had enough yet.
Comments
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By all fired up
September 24, 2005 02:57 AM | Link to this
Am I the only one who sees the injustice here? I have read so many comments about families who have lost everything because they were ruined financially due to a deployment, but yet our government pays KBR enough money to pay “fantastic” salaries and make a huge profit also. This is so unfair, it makes me sick.
By Chris
September 24, 2005 04:56 AM | Link to this
KBR employees are over here working in a war zone unarmed. We have insurgents that study our rules of engagement, so they can attack are convoys knowing that are escorts can not do anything about it. A throw rock is not considered lethal unless it is throw by an adult (by US standers) and is bigger that a softball. The insurgents will send out children (with throwing arms that are better than some majer leage pitchers) to throw rocks the size of a baseball that go straight through are windshiellds and injure the drive with complete immunity. They have also been known to foot and half long lengths of rebar that is sharpened at both ends that will go through a billet proof windshield, striking one driver in the shoulder. A 4 inch opening in your side window is all this children need to the driver on the head without touching the door or the glass. …
By sgt. b
September 24, 2005 12:18 PM | Link to this
KBR and other contractors are over here and doing a good job. Other people in America help but these people are actually risking their lives and getting a little something extra for it as well.
By Sarcasm on a Soapbox
September 24, 2005 02:08 PM | Link to this
BIG differences in contract personnel and military - salary; orders; choice.
KBR pays much higher wages than military. Joe Reilly, MSG, USAF(R) - easrns many more KBR dollars than he did AF dollars and more than his government pension. Otherwise, why whould he be there. Patriotism? Does he owe partiotism to Kuwait or Iraq. No, he is a partiotic American working for an American DOD contractor for big bucks in a foreign land. An active duty AF MSG could handle that job just as efficiently and Uncle Sam would have to pay less dollars. Joe Reilly knows that, too, from experience. MSGs Rule!!!!. However, Joe Reilly might as well take advantage of the job - someone’s going to. Imagine how much the boss (contactor) has in his coffers.
Orders: How many KBR employees were ordered to go there? If the KBR employee refused the assignment it would not mean loss of rank and maybe brig time, etc. - only firing.
Choice: Mr. Reilly could have said ‘I Quit’ and gone home. The soldier could not. He would have been court martialed and perhaps been disgraced. Maybe a BCD (bad conduct discharge) or a DD (dishonorable discharge) - maybe become a guest of Ft. Leavenworth or some other prestigeous brig.
OK a contract is a contract. Soldiers sign a contract with a branch of service and then have to take whatever is dished out. When the contract expires a soldier can be held over and not let out of the contract. This contract serves only one master - the government. Servitude????
Employees sign a contract with a DOD contractor and have to abide by existing rules. However, contract personnel have the right to refuse an assignment and quit or be fired. End of that job and paycheck. No disgrace and no brig.
As for KBR personnel not having escorts or munitions - is their safety not the responsibility of KBR? Unless some schmart civilian contracting office paid by KBR put a security clause in the contract that the military would convoy the civilians.
Children who are so ‘talented’ that they can perform as Chris described? WOW! Their skills are amazing even if their mission is horrific and deadly. I’m sure every USA national sports team will be over there to recruit the little buggers as soon as they can get on a plane. And then these ‘talented’ kids will be making so much money they can buy anything and anyone they want. They can even finance their own wars. Scarcasm from this corner, too.
By Brannon
September 24, 2005 11:09 PM | Link to this
People need to remember that most contractors working in the middle east are retired military. They served on numerous deployments—and in many cases on several combat tours of their own. I am not a contractor, but a Department of the Army Civilian serving in Afghanistan. I did two combat tours with the 82d Airborne when I was on active duty. And like the contractor in the story, do not have to be here. I don’t get the “fabulous” pay that contractors do, nor even the tax benefits. But until more Americans realize how serious this fight is and stop trying to re-live the 1960’s, SOMEONE has to support the troops. (And not just by placing a ribbon magnet on their SUV.) So until you’re ready to put your life on the line and head downrange…STOP WHINING.
By Jeff
September 25, 2005 04:30 AM | Link to this
COME GET YOURS. WE’RE HERE IN DIWANIYAH WAITING. THE PAY IS NOT THAT GOOD IF YOU DIVIDE IT BY 84 HOURS A WEEK. 12 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK, AT LEAST.
By flythemig29
September 25, 2005 09:07 AM | Link to this
I too am a KBR employee but I a motivated not just by money but also by patriotism. I believe in the mission and my family are the ones who are suffering. Long deployments, harsh conditions, infrequent communications all take their toll. While I respect Reilly’s opinion I don’t agree with it. It is not just about money. It is about giving these people a chance at democracy.
By Dean
September 26, 2005 02:19 AM | Link to this
Hey, I remember Reilly. Nice picture Jeremy.