The doctors told me I have six damaged nerves. I hurt all the time, so I don’t know why they are going to fight permanency. This happened over 4 years ago and things are not likely to change with the exception of getting worse as I get older.

As for the wage amount, there is now case law that states we get the maximum amount no matter how long we were over there.

It is too bad one of us does not have an attorney in the family who would take on our cause and sue the adjusters, CEO’s, Dr. Silverman and the other Doctor (for malpractic) and everyone else involved in this mess.

Take care my friends and hang in there.
Terry

PS Jayhawk, how bad were you injured? I bet it was stressful just listening the the ambush over the radio. It sure was being in it! Have you seen Preston’s video of the attack?

If the DBA claims moved at a faster pace many of the contractors could have been rehabilitated and back to work instead of facing 100% disability because it took too long to “fix” the injuries.

I agree with Marlo and I will stand behind this blog site administrator, and Jana Crowder, whenever they need help for anything relating to contractor injuries.

I served my time as a contractor (truck driver) on the front lines because I wanted to support the military and like anyone else I wanted to be able to support myself and help my family. I too am called a mercenary . . . but the true mercenaries are the ones that sit behind desks here on US soil and only think about the amount of money they can put in their own pockets by denying, delaying and stalling payments of benefits that have already been paid for.

We may have worked for large companies like KBR or Dyncorp or Fluor just to name a few, but if you think about it, all of the above companies had contracts from our own government, specifically from the Department of Defense, so were we really mercenaries or did we work for the US Military? Because as contractors we were not given the many benefits that are provided to the regular military personnel and as contractors we were the disposable personnel. So what if we’re killed, just hire another one. So what if we’re injured, just fire them for some BS reason and replace them. So what if we get sick enough to have to come back to the states, again fire them for any BS reason and replace them with another one. Don’t worry about it, no one is counting the contractor deaths and injuries . . . we’re disposable labor. Our own Department of Defense doesn’t even know how many contractors are deployed so why would they care how many have died or been injured.

Making changes to the way the DBA claims are being handled is only the tip of the iceberg.

For others they make sure that Bombs are destroyed, land mines are removed, homes get built, people are fed, water is running, bases are safe, laundry is cleaned, the local police are getting trained, supplies get from one end to another by driving threw dangerous areas and many many other jobs. Yes they might get paid more the soldier but they also are not given health insurance for their families, housing, VA benefits just to name a few. They do this as a way to serve so respect them just like you would if my husband was still wearing his uniform. Many of these contractors have worn the uniform for the military. They have choice to go back as a contractor. So fault them for wanting to feed their families. They want to serve just not wearing green.
These men and women work for the United States Government and deserve the proper care no matter what country they are working in. As long as they are working for the US Government and they are the contractor for these contractors they need to do their job like these men and women do theirs.

Even though we’ve “exchanged” words, I want to thank you for being (probably) the ONLY member of the American Media that actually cares about American Citizens working in the Zones of War.

I’ve been writing to the Media for almost five years, since I came home for medical treatment, to NO avail.
Even knowing that , I’dgoback in aNew York minute, if only KBR / AIG would give me a plane ticket.

Other than John Hostettler( R-In.) who is no longer in office,Our government wants US there, but they couldn’t care less if we live or die.

I’ve written hundreds of letters and e-mails to Congress and the Presidents. They couldn’tcare less.

The Dept. of Labor told methat they had NO Authority
to enforce any Labor Law,or force any ninsurer to abide by the Law. They also allow AIG todeny ALL claims from the Zones of War, and they do.

EVERY single claim made by KBR (not the employee)
for medical treatment for injuries and/or wounds are “automatically denied.”

I’ve also heard people immediately say” OH, You’re a Mercenary!” when I tell them that I was a Military Contractor. My response is,” I’m not a Merc. I’m not a destroyer, I’m a builder.”
Then I try to explain that the best thing we can do is to have American workers , one on one, with Afghans and Iraqis. That’s how we’ll change their hearts and minds. An occupying force can never make people like US while occupying another country.

Once again, Thank You!!!

Be Well and May God Bless You & Yours,

Jim Mallett (KBR injured Kandahar 2004-05)
Wheatland, In. 47597

We want DOL (labor) and their corrupt admin judges out of the picture, with DOD (defence) handling claims along VA lines. These civilian judges don’t have a clue or don’t want to have a clue about what goes on in a war zone and are hopelessly biased and infiltrated by the insurance industry via DOL officials and so forth.

We also reject any future role whatsoever for the deceptive insurance companies who reward their claims adjusters to deny and delay claims in order to maximize their profits. It’s impossible to reform this inherent contradiction by “tracking” their performance as suggested by DOL, why the hell did they not track them over the past six years?

The DOD report is flawed in several of its basic assumptions. Congressman Cummings should keep in mind that the report only calculates costs to the gov and expressly excludes the quality of care to civilian contractors.

Lets just keep in mind that civilian contractors outnumber troops in the war zones. Be careful what you wish for; keep on labeling and mistreating them as “mercenaries” and this may just turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

According to your own definition of mercenaries, you are plain wrong given the fact that over 30% of them are American citizens and many of the rest from NATO allies.

You just don’t have a clue what goes on in the real world; my husband was transferred to Iraq by State Dept. after five years on the job in three countries as a civilian contractor – just like many others from US companies were after the invasion in 2003.

In his case, he earned about the same in Iraq because the danger pay cancelled out the per diem. Most of them did not fight, just read the article. Others of course take bombs apart to either shield civilians or blow up the ‘enemy’, torture people, spy and assassinate, but this does not make every person who went over there a mercenary.
People should refrain from maligning others, and the memory of strangers when they know absolutely nothing about the issue at hand.

Miller did sterling work in highlighting this figure because the DOL for years ludicrously denied that contractors are exposed to danger in Iraq that could rise to the level of trauma:
“investigators determined that about 11 percent of reported contractor casualties stem from combat – about the same percentage of soldier casualties attributed to hostile action, according to an April 2007 report by the Veterans Affairs Department.”

But he is obviously very wrong on this count because PTSD and TBI account for at least 600,000 injuries according to RAND.
“For both groups, most injuries are due to vehicle collisions, muscle or back strains or common, everyday accidents.”
Excellent article, thank you truthout.