HOUSTON — For thousands of contract workers bound for Iraq, the journey starts here, at a cavernous expo center anchoring the Greenspoint shopping mall north of town.
Inside, new hires are bombarded with safety seminars and warnings about the dangers and harsh conditions they will face. Some will quit before the weeklong orientation is over, but most believe they can endure almost anything for the promise of a big payday: for some positions, as much as $100,000 for a 12-month stint, most of it tax-free, according to the recruits.
"You can make as much in a month as some people make in three months," said Michael Taylor, 41, a human resources manager from Montgomery, Ala. "To me, it’s worth it. It’s something I can do for my family. As long as you have your head on a swivel, you’ll probably be safe."
In another life, Taylor worked for Coca-Cola. His new employer is Kellogg Brown &Root — KBR — the Halliburton subsidiary which since January has processed over 8,000 applicants at the Greenspoint job site. This is the epicenter of an operation that has kept a steady supply of workers flowing into Iraq, people from around the country who have traded a life of relative safety and comfort for uncertainty in a hostile land.
They are being hired under a multibillion-dollar U.S. government contract awarded to Halliburton to rebuild Iraq. KBR says it is hiring U.S. recruits for 100 types of positions, including water testers, electricians, truck drivers and clerks. Company spokeswoman Patrice Mingo said more than 24,000 KBR employees currently work in Iraq and Kuwait. Though workers sign a 12-month contract with KBR, no one is forced to stay if they want to go home, she said. The company would not say how much it pays its employees.
On Thursday, the latest batch of applicants went through Day 4 of orientation. Six hundred men and women, many of whom had never ventured outside the United States, learned how to defend themselves against a biochemical or nuclear attack.
A film describing the history of biochemical warfare played on two big screens as workers lined up to try on boots, hooded yellow jumpsuits and gas masks. Nearby, someone had stuffed a jumpsuit with paper then closed the leg and armholes with duct tape. "Look at me! Tape your wrists and ankles like me," read a handmade sign attached to the dummy.
Lilly Washington, a 51-year-old real estate agent from Chicago, made a face as a KBR trainer sprayed a bitter substance inside her gas mask. This was meant to simulate the bitter taste she may experience if gas leaks through her mask during an attack. Like many here, Washington — who said she stands to earn nearly $100,000 arranging accommodations for KBR workers in Iraq — has taken the job against the advice of worried family and friends.
"I’ve made a decision to go and I don’t want to hear any more negative comments," said Washington. She’s so tired of the objections that she has stopped answering phone calls from friends at home. "My kids are grown, I’m divorced and I’m thinking about my retirement. This will really help put me ahead financially," she said.
San Antonio paramedic David Schroeder tells a similar story. His parents are unhappy with his decision to work in Iraq, but he believes he’ll be safe taking care of KBR employees who need medical care. "I won’t be roaming around in a convoy," said Schroeder. "I won’t feel as exposed to danger as the truck drivers, for instance."
"There are thousands of KBR employees there and only a small number have been put in danger," he added. "It may sound silly, but I feel the odds are on my side." Schroeder’s main concern is the desert heat, which sounds grueling even to this native Texan. "I know it’ll be hot, hot, hot, and I like my air conditioning," said Schroeder, who will be leaving for Iraq Saturday.
News reports about the kidnappings and murders of contract workers have only increased interest in the jobs, said Walt Youngblood, a human resources manager who helps run the Greenspoint center. "Part of my struggle is to keep people emotionally stable. They want to go now to help, and they don’t want to wait," he said. "We’ve had our people immolated over there. It’s a war. We want to make sure people understand that," he said.
Halliburton has said that more than 30 of its employees and subcontractors have been killed in Iraq since last spring.
Some contractors have quit, complaining they were not properly warned about the dangerous conditions in Iraq. Youngblood said he began working at the Greenspoint center on March 15 "to remedy that situation." To keep applicants informed, Youngblood holds a meeting daily so applicants can ask questions.
Applicants invited to Greenspoint have passed initial interviews at job fairs across the country. If they get through Greenspoint and pass all their background checks and medical screening, most are hired.
At the job fairs where the applicants first learn about the positions and conditions, the lure of cash carries the day.
At a job fair in Houston Thursday, Brad Atchison, 24, and his brother Dennis applied for work in a KBR laundry warehouse in Iraq. "It’s hard to find good paying jobs here, and if I did this, I could come back and get a house," said Brad, who is married and has a 4-year-old son. "For the kind of money you can make over there, it’s worth the gamble."
Debbie Matone’s grown children can’t believe their 43-year-old mother would quit her job as a teacher to be a food service worker in Iraq. But Matone and her husband, Anthony, are determined to go. "You can drive on the freeway in Houston and get shot," she said. "At least in Iraq you know who the enemy is."
Robert Kenney, a 59-year-old air conditioning repairman, walked away from the job fair with a grin and a sheet of paper scribbled with his new salary: $82,000 for a 12 months of work. He said he was also told he’d get a $25,000 life insurance policy.
Kenney dismissed the notion of hostile Iraqis with a shrug. "If I get kidnapped, I get kidnapped," he said. "I think Iraq will be less dangerous than dealing with my ex-wife."
KBR recruiters made a point of stressing the danger and uncomfortable living conditions, Kenney said. "They’re trying to give you the worst case scenario. They tell it so bad it’s almost as if they don’t want you to sign up."
As he ambled toward his battered old van, which he says he’ll be able to replace on his return, Kenney dreamed of the not-too-distant future.
"I’ll be in Iraq, in the middle of the heat and the bugs and the sand, but I’ll be smiling" he said. "I’ll be thinking about all the money I’m making."
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