tozz said:
Has anyone ever considered war-zone employment as an ER strategy?
Yes. It works great as long as you're planning to win the no-disability survivor's lottery. I should warn you that hazardous duty pay, combat pay, hostile fire pay, and whatever-you-call-it pay is not worth the cost of possibly having to actually earn it. And I say that despite earning all of mine underwater.
tozz said:
Well now I think I've been dissed and offered minimum wage at $248K. However, it is a green-zone/airport position, with no ventures out into the bucolic countryside.
Gosh, it must be great to have a combat-immune zone in the middle of the firefight. I wonder, did the insurgents guarantee that "green zone" thing? Or does the military promise to sternly admonish the insurgents if somebody mistakenly attacks the green zone and you're hurt/killed?
I know a Halliburton employee who's an oilfield troubleshooter. He's considered experienced & expensive enough that he goes in-country with a bodyguard and a team of shooters. (Hopefully they're instructed to shoot other people, not him.) He's been out of the U.S. for several years and has accumulated considerable savings. He's also stressed over caring for his indigent mother, a survivor of a bitter divorce, out of touch with his teenage daughter, and generally adrift from his friends and his life's interests. Buy, hey, the money's good and he has a lot of great stories! Considering his "living expenses" (parental care, alimony, child support, absentee homeowner) he could probably do better in the U.S. with a "real" job and LBYM.
Ironically they yanked him out of Nigeria because it was "too dangerous" and sent him to Iraq.
What kind of "benefits" would you receive at this job? The military is now offering $400K term life insurance, $100K death benefit, unlimited/lifetime medical care (including some of the world's most experienced physical rehabilitation experts), body armor (not available in all areas, call first for details), vehicle armor (see previous disclaimer, your mileage may vary), and even disability retirement. Maybe you really are being offered minimum wage (for a maximum sacrifice).
IOW, man, there's a reason that the military is paying suckers highly-motivated civilians like you to do that job. Unless you're a veteran with infantry combat experience who can join a team of similarly-experienced mercenaries to cover your backside, I'd advise keeping your day job. But that's just the opinion of a guy who's happily enjoying his new tour of duty as an ER REMF.