07/26/2024
20 years ago today, I boarded a plane for Baghdad. It completely changed the trajectory of my life. The years that followed, the places I went, the people I met – the people I lost – all of it made me who I am today.
I don’t talk about my time as a war zone contractor much. Most people don’t know that contractors exist. The people that DO know about contractors tend to have a lot of opinions, most of which are wrong.
But here’s what you need to know: Every time the U.S. military deploys, anywhere in the world, there is a shadow army of civilian contractors deployed alongside them.
Most of us are slinging potatoes in the DFAC, stacking boxes in the warehouse, cleaning port-o-johns, driving trucks, and filling out work orders.
We live and work and eat our meals right alongside the troops, and we face most if not all of the same dangers, including rockets, IEDs – and burn pits.
A lot of these folks go home with life-altering physical and psychological injuries. But unlike our troops, contractors have no VA to come home to.
When contractors get sick, they usually pay their medical expenses out of pocket. Despite their years of service, their families are left with nothing – not even answers.
It’s time to change that.
I recently reconnected with Scott Dillard, one of my coworkers from Afghanistan. Together we founded a new nonprofit – the first ever as far as we know – that serves the needs of civilian military contractors.
The Association of War Zone Contractors will launch later this year. Website, logo, all that is coming – I promise.
In the meantime, I’ve got stories I’ve been bottling up for 20 years. So I decided to share them with you.
Here’s the first one.
20 years ago today, I boarded a plane for Baghdad.
