In today's economy, many of us have experienced lay offs prompted by corporate downsizing and cut backs. It's not always easy to replace that salary, in particular if you've grown accustomed to a certain way of life. Some people have turned to jobs overseas as a way to keep that standard of living and support their families. Often these opportunities are fairly lucrative depending on where the position is.

Perhaps the most lucrative positions are located in the Mideast, in particular Iraq and Afghanistan. These countries designated by the US State department as "War Zones" currently have thousands of contractors working at numerous military installations throughout the region. These contractors are needed to support current military operations and thousands of US and coalition troops.

According to an article in the LA Times on July 4th, 2007, the number of U.S. paid private contractors in Iraq exceeded that of American combat troops. At that time, more than 180,000 civilians including Americans, foreigners and Iraqis are working in Iraq under U.S. contracts.

Because of the location of these positions and potential danger, the pay scale and entitlements can be quite lucrative.

Typically contracts for these jobs are for a one year period although often employees volunteer to stay longer. I know of several individuals who have spent over three years working in both countries. Others simply fulfill their initial commitment, (usually one year) and return home. This leaves a big need for a continual influx of new employees.

For someone unemployed, these opportunities can be quite enticing. The only thing stopping many of them is the potential danger of living in a War Zone and without a doubt, these countries are dangerous, but let's put things into perspective.

Much of the higher risk positions pertain to those individuals working beyond the perimeters of the military bases, often referred to as "outside the wire". Such positions include truck drivers traveling between locations, construction works hired to rebuild the infrastructure, civilian security personnel and others.

Many of the other contractors will never go beyond the security of the compound unless as part of a convoy and traveling between locations. For these people the risk is substantially lower. That's not to say that these bases aren't occasional targets for insurgents and receive occasional mortar attacks and gunfire. It's just not as dangerous as working elsewhere in the country.

The bottom line is people take jobs in the Mideast for various reasons. Some are looking for a quick infusion of cash, others are interested in supplementing their retirement income and others are simply looking for a job. Whatever your reason, this may be an option to maintain and even enhance your income.