A posting in Iraq is like...no other. Nothing seems to follow the standard rules of practice.
So, what's it like to work in Iraq? It is difficult and full of contradictions. I cannot speak to working in Baghdad, but I can say most people really don't want to go there. I know only what it is like to work out in the consulates, in the northern part of the country. Out here you have conflict upon conflict - diplomacy vs security, left over Dept of Defense vs Dept of State, contractors vs direct hires, etc. There are lots of demands by Baghdad and DC, but no people or resources to accomplish their demands, but even those are often put aside in favor of more pressing immediate needs and demands of the people living and working here. We have more than one compound, there are competing demands and definitely a difference in living conditions and acceptable circumstances at each.
As I have said time and again...what makes all the difference is the friends you make and the people you meet. I'd rather be in a bad place with people I trust and like, than to be in a palace with those I cannot trust and do not like. I am lucky enough to have a few that I trust very much, but there are just as many that I do not trust.
This kind of environment brings out the very worst in people. It is an extreme situation that exposes many of our flaws. If there is little in the way of resources are you going to share generously or will you become a selfish hoarder? When chaos reigns will you work well with others so that everyone can meet their goals, or will you demand that you take precedence?
I once told a superior that doing my job is easy, it's navigating the personalities that is so difficult. She agreed. In our arena of Iraq there are a few leaders among us, but the hierarchy is so poorly defined, resources are sparse and too many people think they are in charge.
There is a clash of cultures between those who want to remove ALL possible danger, those who know they must work with the uncertainty and get out into places that can be dangerous; some literally think there are villians lurking just outside the gate while others move about outside our gates like they were in Philadelphia. Contractors complain that they have to dry CHUs (housing with no bathrooms) while we have wet CHUs (two rooms share a bathroom), but they make a heck of a lot more money that we do and I can guarantee they would not do my job for my pay in this country.
Then there is the problem of using "contractors" as our main security supplement. Direct Hire DOS oversee contractors. Iraq says we have too many Americans and wants us to bring the numbers down, Baghdad agrees. So who are we going to replace them with? Iraqis? Certainly there are Iraqis who are honorable, but what of those who can be bought or blackmailed?
So what is working in Iraq like? It is stressful. It can make you angry and frustrated. It can leave you not knowing who to trust, who is telling the truth or how things are really supposed to happen. And though we do get some "down" time, you are never really off the clock. You are available 24 hours a week for days on end.
Oh, and everything is covered in a not so thin layer of dirt...that has just now turned to mud because they rainy season has arrived.
So, what's it like to work in Iraq? It is difficult and full of contradictions. I cannot speak to working in Baghdad, but I can say most people really don't want to go there. I know only what it is like to work out in the consulates, in the northern part of the country. Out here you have conflict upon conflict - diplomacy vs security, left over Dept of Defense vs Dept of State, contractors vs direct hires, etc. There are lots of demands by Baghdad and DC, but no people or resources to accomplish their demands, but even those are often put aside in favor of more pressing immediate needs and demands of the people living and working here. We have more than one compound, there are competing demands and definitely a difference in living conditions and acceptable circumstances at each.
As I have said time and again...what makes all the difference is the friends you make and the people you meet. I'd rather be in a bad place with people I trust and like, than to be in a palace with those I cannot trust and do not like. I am lucky enough to have a few that I trust very much, but there are just as many that I do not trust.
This kind of environment brings out the very worst in people. It is an extreme situation that exposes many of our flaws. If there is little in the way of resources are you going to share generously or will you become a selfish hoarder? When chaos reigns will you work well with others so that everyone can meet their goals, or will you demand that you take precedence?
I once told a superior that doing my job is easy, it's navigating the personalities that is so difficult. She agreed. In our arena of Iraq there are a few leaders among us, but the hierarchy is so poorly defined, resources are sparse and too many people think they are in charge.
There is a clash of cultures between those who want to remove ALL possible danger, those who know they must work with the uncertainty and get out into places that can be dangerous; some literally think there are villians lurking just outside the gate while others move about outside our gates like they were in Philadelphia. Contractors complain that they have to dry CHUs (housing with no bathrooms) while we have wet CHUs (two rooms share a bathroom), but they make a heck of a lot more money that we do and I can guarantee they would not do my job for my pay in this country.
Then there is the problem of using "contractors" as our main security supplement. Direct Hire DOS oversee contractors. Iraq says we have too many Americans and wants us to bring the numbers down, Baghdad agrees. So who are we going to replace them with? Iraqis? Certainly there are Iraqis who are honorable, but what of those who can be bought or blackmailed?
So what is working in Iraq like? It is stressful. It can make you angry and frustrated. It can leave you not knowing who to trust, who is telling the truth or how things are really supposed to happen. And though we do get some "down" time, you are never really off the clock. You are available 24 hours a week for days on end.
Oh, and everything is covered in a not so thin layer of dirt...that has just now turned to mud because they rainy season has arrived.
