There is no doubt that people, whether active military or contractor, can make huge money in Afghanistan and Iraq.

I was active duty military and deployed to Saudi Arabia and Iraq.  When you can’t spend money, you can pay off debt.

I was a contractor in Iraq in 2006 for 2 months.  Sure, I cleared about $8k a month (or $4k a check).  The problem was that I had to make a choice; either stay alive, or, make a butt-load of money right up until I died.

Oh, it wasn’t the insurgents that were the problem.  It was the company I worked for and the supervisors/managers who put production over safety.

I, like many others, went with the notion of making a few hundred grand, get out of debt totally, then leaving.  I, unlike many of them, didn’t sell my soul.

We had one lock step Republican here that went to Iraq as a security consultant. He came back with all sorts of glowing tales of how great everything was. Progress was everywhere. But the ‘liberal’ media refused to cover those stories.
Left unsaid publiclly was how much money he ‘earned’ over there. And the fact that the school houses that he spoke of had no students left to attend classes there. And the clinic was destroyed by terrorist’s a week after completion.
He made a good deal of tax free money and has no intention of going back, regardless of how great things are.
I know of one Marine, (Sgt) that had intended on making a career out of the Marines. He had served 5 hitches, got sent to Iraq, became very disillusioned with the lack of common sense shown by the Staff Officer’s and resigned rather than re-up again. They offered him all sorts of ‘inducements’ (bribes) to stay in.
He said he valued his sanity more.

great satan:
Great comment!

In general, a bad economy is good for the war business. As simple labor jobs are outsourced and illegal immigrants are tolerated, the chances of the average, semi-educated/full on brain-washed Joe loses his chance to actualize the status quo life that he is compelled to embrace through his passive response to the authority of church and the media. “Hey Joe, if you don’t have a wife, a house, two and a a half kids, and a new car, you aren’t a man, a Christian or an American. Oh, no job, well your country needs ya, and its steady work! You’ll come home a hero and be set up for life, really, we promise!” Quite clever really, and if it weren’t for the extreme collatoral damage, I’d have to like it! If I thought there that every redneck Christian, every Fundamentalist Muslim and every Zionist Jew were going to meet up in an empty desert and fight til no one was left standing, I’d slap a US Flag on my bumper and maybe become a preacher, egging them all onto the ships for the new crusade. Really, if everyone in the world who would kill another human being just because the priest/politician/TV says its a good idea would only kill each other, I’d have to accept it as the plan. But alas, the kids, the women, the free thinkers and non-fanatical men of faith who express their peity through the simple prayers and good works of their life get blown to bits as well, not to mention the poor lizards.

Vet240, I have to agree with you. It is tuff, but you can do it. I did and it is the best thing I ever did. I have one Credit card and use it for items like the things you can get a good deal on. Then when the statement comes pay it off. I get about 15 offers a week wanting me to accept another credit card. My credit was so good I got a Mortgage at 5.85%. Don’t buy anything you don’t need pay for everything you buy. It equals a better life.

If you’re in debt you’re a slave! Want freedom? Start getting rid of your debt by cutting up your credit cards and only buying things you need or can afford to pay cash for.

Your life-style may have to be down-graded but it’s the only to be truly free.

The government and big business wants to own you. It keeps you in line.