ME
You obviously have an axe to grind - this posting in Iraq is optional - you can always leave if you hate it this much!!!!
If you are qualified for radar, you should have little trouble getting hired in Iraq by Serco.
But as we all know - applications accepted by Serco are vetted by the Iraqi's and they have the final say.
TThey are losing lots of people here for various reasons, but I have heard many controllers say (that would be a fact) that they are frustrated.
equipment, quality of life, management, Iraqi culture, leave policies, safety, visa issues
and the list goes on and on
won't disagree but what I will say is you can either get caught up in it or you can just go what the f... and come to work, do the job as best you can and then get on the bus and go back to your room/bar/gym. For that you will (at the moment) get paid 530USD/day. I work in the approach room, on average I will work 6 hours of my 8 hour day on position so over 1 cycle I work 36 hours every 8 days. On conclusion of a year you would have been paid around 3730USD per week - tax free.
Not really air traffic control here (opinion)
Totally disagree here....most ATC systems around the world now are so streamlined, regulated, x this point at this time, your slot is....etc etc its taken the enjoyment out of it. Actually having to think.
The ATC here below FL230 is pure ATC, its random, quiet,busy, frantic, frustrating......everyone (mostly) have to get vectors around the **** load of military aircraft flying around that are not on your freq. All departures, particularly out of Baghdad are on headings and you have to weave them through all the traffic on another frequency. Yes there are supposedly procedures but very rarely adhered to so you have to just work the traffic to make it work. Sorry, but I class this as being an air traffic controller. But then again - if you don't like it, you can always leave.
hard to say what is factual about baghdad
My intent was that some may ask specific questions about the work over here eg roster rotation, ratings, living, pay etc - things that I could give a factual answer to. I do not like to to influence people on a career change based on my opinion ie what I like or dislike here and printed may influence someone to apply/not apply when their likes/dislikes would differ from mine.
Security around here is more about appearances (IMO) than actually preventing anything.
two examples:
1. Water supplies not guarded when first put in. Huge tanks sitting outside camp, no one watching, anyone who wanted to could have unscrewed caps on top and put anything in.
2. mortar attack recently. management went to bunkers, some controllers never notified. Oh, and there are not enough bunkers for the people here. Oh, and no more are being built. ("bunkers do not really protect you...." heard said by mngt my me)
Well that came out of left field...........the water, FFS....everyone knows here the water from the tanks are for flushing your **** down the toilet and showers. If you use it for anything else....what can I say....there is so much bottled water here than you could shake a bottle water stick at. I use that for my drinking water, jug water, teeth cleaning water. The only other thing I know the tank supply does is the ice machines....and it goes through about 5 filters before it even gets to the frozen stage. Even if some scrotum drove up to the tanks outside the camp where the flood lights are on and the guards have a video on permanent camera out the front, and injected something into the water supply...ahh I'm just raving now....
By the way....big new bunker down by my room...what mortars you talking about? The ones on the military base some time ago or the controlled detonations the other night that only some of us were told about?