Don't worry, plenty of contracting jobs exist for young and old alike. Depending on your skill set, you may find the perfect job to enhance that badly needed retirement fund or even jump start your retirement by several years. Working a year or more in Afghanistan or Iraq could certainly help you do that.



With the lucrative salaries that can be made, people of all ages are accepting positions in the Mideast, (okay War Zones) for the big bucks. Numerous positions still exist and many skill sets are needed from entry level clerks to highly skilled engineers.

I've traveled throughout the MidEast over the past several years and have met many people, middle aged and up working in a variety of positions. People in their 50's, 60's and 70's working in a War Zone.

Contract positions are available throughout the MidEast, but the most lucrative by far, are located in a War Zone such as Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition to your base salary and overtime, you may be authorized hazard duty pay, post differential and foreign service pay. These allowances add up and are often calculated on your base salary. Thus, the higher your base salary, the higher all your other entitlements will be. Many people often exceed $10,458 every two weeks. This makes for a very lucrative year.

The majority of these positions are located within the secure perimeters of military installations. One time I met an elderly woman who worked in the vehicle dispatch office at Camp Liberty in Baghdad. One of the nicest and happy go lucky people I've ever met. Her goal was to complete two years, return home and retire.

The primary requirements to work in one of these positions, is to be able to pass a basic fitness examination and able to carry your own personal protective gear when needed. This refers to the typical flak vest and combat helmet which is required to be worn at times on site and when traveling between locations.

The method of travel between military sites is by helicoptor or convoy, riding in armored vehicles or a "Rhino" which looks like a big armored RV. In either case you would be expected to travel wearing your vest and helmet.

Other than the inconvenience of the travel, most people get accustomed to the environment and try and limit travel to as little as necessary. With thousands of other contractors in the region, most quickly adapt.

Regardless of your skill set, numerous opportunities exist for people of all ages. If you are considering such an endeavor, you'll find jobs throughout the region and will work with dedicated professionals in both the military and civilian fields.