So you want to be an OEF/OIF contractor? (part 4) - IT jobs

A continuation of our series highlighting all of the information we are aware of that we think you need to know as you consider becoming an OIF/OEF contractor.

IT Jobs

IT jobs in OIF/OEF are a bit different from the IT jobs at home that you are used to. All things considered, they are great jobs with a lot of variety and are generally the best paying jobs in theater that don't include carrying a weapon or going outside the wire on a daily basis in the job description.

A Few Qualifiers for IT Jobs

The most important consideration for people considering IT jobs in OIF/OEF is that customer service must be the most important thing on your agenda. In general, I think every IT job requires strong customer service skills, but out here it is not optional. As a "highly qualified IT professional" you might have issues taking direction from a 19 year old "kid" with an M4, but his life and all of your lives are dependent on the information coming through the IT systems you are supporting. It helps to have experience with understanding the military chain of command, but you have to keep in the front of your mind that your job out here is to support the guys in the field, to make sure their equipment is always functioning, so they can relay the information necessary.

The second biggest disqualifier is pride. Get over yourself. We all take turns cleaning the office, taking out the trash, fixing the coffee, restocking the water, and sweeping off the patio if we're lucky enough to have one. I've witnessed high ranking officers sweeping the floor, we all do our part. Generally, as an IT professional, you will be working in offices that are restricted to cleared US personnel. While they might be able to hire cleared personnel to clean the office back home, it doesn't make sense to do it here. Besides, cleaning the office is a nice break after you've surfed to the end of the Internet for the third time, today.

The critical disqualifier is clearance. You must be able to qualify for a US DoD security clearance, which generally means that you have no felonies and no bancruptcies in your life. There are numerous details, just be prepared to meticulously document the last seven to ten years of your life. You can't get hired without this, but it sounds much scarier and more painful than it really is, don't stress about it.

IT Jobs - The Companies

I've tried to list all of the companies I'm familiar with, but the list is by no means complete. Most of the companies are specific to the jobs, so it's easier to list the companies than the jobs.

ITT Systems - Middle East Office

For better and worse, ITT is the KBR of IT jobs in OIF/OEF. ITT holds the TAC-SWACAA (Total Army Communications - South West Asia Central Asia Africa) contract, which means that the vast majority of IT jobs, and almost all of the O&M (Operations and Maintenance) jobs are with ITT. ITT has a lot of people and a lot of management personnel in the theater so the quality of the jobs and managers vary from place to place. Most of the ITT people are pretty happy with their jobs and where they are at. Like any job, there are a fair share of disgruntled or unskilled people in jobs they shouldn't be in.

Because almost all of ITT's jobs are O&M, that means that you'll spend a large amount of time waiting for an email, trouble ticket, or phone call to bring you something to do. There's no such thing as an average day. Most ITT jobs are on a 60 hour work week broken into 5x12 or 6x10. These are not highly skilled jobs and that can result in frustration for the highly skilled because they have to wait for the engineers all the way in the rear (Kuwait) to solve critical issues.

Five Rivers

Five Rivers is an Alaskan Disadvantaged business (woman, minority, and tribal owned) that is a subcontractor to ITT. Five Rivers appears to be used by ITT primarily for their top technical jobs because Five Rivers has a lot more flexibility in pay and benefits that the highly rigid TACSWACAA contract allows.

Northrup Grumman IT

NGIT appears to hold most of the contracts for highly skilled engineering jobs. All of the NGIT people I've talked to are pretty happy with the company, pay, and benefits. Most of their jobs are in the rear, Kuwait and Qatar, which affects the pay and benefits, but I've come across a few engineers and information assurance folks in Iraq and Afghanistan.

General Dynamics IT

GDIT holds most of the IT project management jobs through their Anteon subsidiary, as well as some engineering and information assurance jobs. Primarily based in Kuwait and Qatar, I've only come across a couple of their folks but I have never heard a complaint about the company or management.

TAMSCO

My knowledge of TAMSCO is purely third hand. TAMSCO holds some master contracts that include responsibility for IA (Information Assurance) in Iraq. IA contracts must be seperated from all other IT contracts to ensure a seperation of duty and avoid a "fox watching the henhouse" conflict of interest.

Intecon

Intecon is a small Service Disabled Veteran owned company (important federal qualifier) out of Colorado Springs. Intecon has most of the IA related slots in Iraq and is purported to have the best pay and benefits in all of OIF/OEF. I've heard nothing but great and wonderful things about Intecon and each of their people that I have met have been exceptionally qualified for the job they are in. (No, we do not work for Intecon, but we did try, it's just not easy to line up two jobs in the same place for such a small company).

Conclusion

I'm sure there are a few more small businesses doing work for the military in OIF/OEF, but that's the extent of my current knowledge. If you are looking for an IT job, any IT job, regardless of qualifications or skills, you can't go wrong with ITT. As your qualifications and specific desires increase you need to look towards the smaller and more specialized companies. There are a lot, and I really mean a lot, of issues you need to consider before you hop half way around the world and take up residence in a combat zone. I would strongly encourage you to make contact with review offers from at least two companies so you can make a fair comparison of your options.