parasigs said:Ive just been on the website and looked at CRG close protection courses. Anyone got any feedback on these?
thegimp said:Heard a rumour that prospective employees would have to fork out for the course prior to engagement with no guarentee of work
Please correct me if I'm wrong
However the CRG new starters day rate appears to have plummeted to about 170 quid a day!!!!!
Once again correct me if I'm wrong
woodyb said:thegimp said:Heard a rumour that prospective employees would have to fork out for the course prior to engagement with no guarentee of work
Please correct me if I'm wrong
However the CRG new starters day rate appears to have plummeted to about 170 quid a day!!!!!
Once again correct me if I'm wrong
worse than that mate. try 150 per day....and you don't get paid on leave. Happy days!![]()
Money may stabilise next year, but the coy's living up to the Cheap Rate Guys moniker thats for sure.....
muzzleflash said:Nice comments cliffy, worth remembering that theres not many Bill Oddies doing top cover around Basra earning 150 a day!
Cliff said:Muzzleflash, you've also got to remember contractor work is often inherantly unstable. 150 quid a day may sound alright, but you have to bear in mind the guys only get paid that while they are working. You don't get the associated family benefits you do in the army, and all that other good stuff.
Plus, when you factor in how much of a cut the company is taking per man, that is when you really start to get disgusted. Bunch of ex-rodneys sitting in London getting fat while trimming the wages of the guys on the ground - these wage cuts are not balanced top to bottom for the whole contract in most cases. Don't get me wrong (and I've certainly made some decent money off this malarkey - not doing it anymore), if the rodneys weren't there to win over clients, no-one would have any work - but I have seen what the Iraq contractor scene has become having been in it since early 04, and the hey-day is definately past. And these rodneys are effectively selling services performed by the guys on the ground but I don't see them personally taking the paycuts.
As Woody says, the back up on the ground is not great and even if your company has an agreement with the "local" US/UK military, they are not exactly going to come rushing to your aid. So while there are not even any WO1's running around doing top cover for that money, you can't ever relax as a contractor because when the contract ends, you always need to be looking for the next one. 150 a day represents a serious drop.
muzzleflash said:No argument with that lot cliff and believe me mate, I'm well in the picture as to just how unstable the whole security contractor malarkey is. The sad thing is that a lot of young lads leave a stable and promising career in the Army, having being lured into fantasy land by the mistaken belief of easy work and plentyful money - how wrong they are!!
Cliff said:You are exactly right there mate, when I started over there during the happy days, Britwise there were not many of the young lads, just a bunch of older ex SNCO's who were largely linked in on the old boy net having done anywhere from 8-22 years in their respective service.
... Sadly, the actions of late of the above described ex-ruperts has reminded me why I got out in the first place, so I won't be rejoining now!
captain_jack said:very interesting to read everyones comments above. I am currently in the process of leaving the Army after 9 years service and hoping to move into the comms area with a psc in Iraq. (I am a Signals Instructor at present). Having booked on a commercial comms course for resettlement along with a proj managementcourse, is there any advice you can give me. Are companies actively recruiting people like myself?
Thanks for your help.
muzzleflash said:Nice comments cliffy, worth remembering that theres not many Bill Oddies doing top cover around Basra earning 150 a day!
bob_lawlaw said:muzzleflash said:Nice comments cliffy, worth remembering that theres not many Bill Oddies doing top cover around Basra earning 150 a day!
Might be worth expanding on that comment to inform the lads who might still be tempted, they could well be responsible for finding their own 'Personal Insurance and Medical Expenses' should they be wounded in theatre from the said £150 per day. Now how much are we really looking at in the pocket?![]()
neemo said:bob_lawlaw said:muzzleflash said:Nice comments cliffy, worth remembering that theres not many Bill Oddies doing top cover around Basra earning 150 a day!
Might be worth expanding on that comment to inform the lads who might still be tempted, they could well be responsible for finding their own 'Personal Insurance and Medical Expenses' should they be wounded in theatre from the said £150 per day. Now how much are we really looking at in the pocket?![]()
deffo there Bob
if you are covered under a DOD contract you will be covered under the US DBA Death Benifits Assurance
if you end up brown bread your next of kin will get a lump sum and a monthly payout for the rest of her/their life.
also some companies have their own insurance, ask for a copy of it.
we all got caught out with a company in early 2004 who said everyone was covered under their insurance until one lad got zapped and there was nothing in the pot!
i cannot stress how important it is to have your s*** sorted before you come out here, and that is including your bank etc also make a will.
with your bank make sure your wife/partner can access it, set it up with the bank, because if the worse does happen and you have not, your account will freeze and no one will be able to access your account until months after.