My current contract is drawing to a close and I need to decide where to go from here...  Do I sign back up for overseas or return home to Houston?  My wife would kind of like it if I was around a bit more but she does support my current employment because she knows I enjoy it and she is okay with it for time being if I don't find anything I like at home.

Currently I work for Blackwater under Dept.- Homeland Security and have worked for otehrs also under Department of Defense.  I have worked in civil litigation in Houston for many years as an investigator and can always go back to that if I wanted.  Maybe pick up a PPO (personal protection officer) certification also and add that to the side.  But i'm still interested in pursuing security work in relations to port authority and other transportation venues, like TSA.  The right corporate position would not be out of the question either.  Possible LEO maybe though their pay is not very attractive but duty and service appeals to me.  Regular commisoned guard work is absolutely out of the question.

If I don't pick up something useful at home other things in consideration are: maritime anti-piracy out in SE Asia; secuirty contracts in Haiti, Liberia, and Kosovo; return to Iraq for more fun in the sandbox.  The wife and family would really prefer I do not select the later.

Here are the draw backs I have:  No college degree (I have a military doctorate instead ); I have  Chapter 13 in my past (from a bad business decision!) so that pretty much flags me on Interim clearances, though I have had a Secret in the past.


So here I am pondering the above and deciding what next, any suggestions from the sounding board?  leads and/or contacts appreciated also!  Possible finders fees also!

PPO work here in Texas seems limited and the money obviously isnt as good as what you're making as a BW contractor.  im at BW right now and there are a few guys who are in the class with me as BW contractors.  you aren't going to find anything that pays as much here.

PSD work stateside, and especially in Texas, is hard to come by.  some it seems to be short term, 1 week or less, and sporadic.  alot of off-duty cops are also in the PSD game even though most aren't trained to do PSD work and on top of that have no insurance in case something goes sideways and someone tries to sue them.  obviously their department will not accept culpability for off-duty employment.

personally, being in the Exec Protection school here at BW right now (last day is today) after seeing all the info they gave us, there is no way an untrained police officer would be able to know all of this.  90% of this information was not part of police academy.  about 10% was: night shooting, room clearing, are the two i can think of off hand.

things like: ambush/counterambush, surveillance/countersurveillance, attack-on-principal, cover/evacuate, motorcade driving, route planning, advance, "last-man standing" drill, formations (simple diamond, diamond, extended "iraqi" diamond, etc), comms, etc, most cops working PSD as an off-duty gig have little to no training in regards to this stuff.

yesterday we did force-on-force/counterambush/cover-evac drills with simunitions and flash-bangs.  i don't know of any police academy teaching this!

anyway if you are looking for consistent work with good $$$ i'd ask BW for another contract.

The downside of doing overseas work is finding work back home paying what you are used to making (or close to it).  I worked for a lot of years in Saudi Arabia & still have friends there (and elsewhere in the Gulf) who continue to contract overseas (even though they got sick of it after a few years) because they can't find the bucks back home.

I saved some money & came back & went to a university & got a degree.  Now I'm pulling down more here than I did there, but it took a few years.

Good luck in your search & where ever you land!!

Quoted: The downside of doing overseas work is finding work back home paying what you are used to making (or close to it).  I worked for a lot of years in Saudi Arabia & still have friends there (and elsewhere in the Gulf) who continue to contract overseas (even though they got sick of it after a few years) because they can't find the bucks back home. I saved some money & came back & went to a university & got a degree.  Now I'm pulling down more here than I did there, but it took a few years. Good luck in your search & where ever you land!!

I would second this - it might take a few years - but it will pan out.

Stay focused on task.

Wish I could help


I know a few people I will ask around and get back if I find anything.

Quoted: Do I sign back up for overseas or return home to Houston?  My wife would kind of like it if I was around a bit more but she does support my current employment because she knows I enjoy it and she is okay with it for time being if I don't find anything I like at home.

If you don't have kids (or they are moved out), do the overseas thing now, and pile away as much cash as you can.   The time to come back and look at lower paying jobs is after your retirement is secure...