While I have to wonder if you are pulling our leg with your example, I often get the question about working overseas, and how such experience might assist a candidate in securing a career with our agency.

In short, it will do nothing in particular to help you and may actually make it more difficult to secure a career Fire Service position if and when you decide to return stateside.

If such remains your desire though, first and foremost, you have to get out of the house and travel overseas. If living overseas is to be truly contemplated, you should plan for a stay of at least 90 days to determine if the culture of your target country truly meets your expectations. I imagine that things will soon seem far different than you imagined, as even the heartiest of us soon becomes homesick for the culture in which we were raised (much less the freedoms we truly take for granted).

Unless you desire to renounce your citizenship, you should carefully review the information at:

http://www.state.gov/travel

...and specifically related to Iraq:

http://travel.state.gov/iraq_warning.html

I'm not sure who you plan to work for, but other than the roustabout firms that are in country (and serve in their own safety and firefighting capacity), there is no public infrastructure to properly support a national fire service in Iraq, much less one that is able to hire and retain foreign employees who do not speak the language or understand the culture.

If you want to go to Iraq at this time, and hopefully gain some experience that might be valuable to a future Fire Service career in the USA, I'd suggest you consider this path:

http://www.goarmy.com

..which is not to be confused whatever sanitizwd version may appear at:

http://www.americasarmy.com

In closing... your question about overseas employment makes me think you have the travel bug. Assess your situation, and if you haven't a care in the world tying you down, go ahead and see the world (in or out of uniform). As they say, the grass only seems greener...

Brian
Please no e-mail. Public replies only. Thank you!

Brain (as usual) has a very valid point. If you are still
interested, then go to this link.

http://www.halliburton.com/careers/careers_kbr.jsp

Click on the "Search Jobs" link, then enter the below
numbers under Requisition number.
The requisition numbers are #21468 for firefighter and
#21129 Fire Cre Chief
-
Curt Cozad
Spokesperson/Liaison
FIREHIRE® Inc.
800?755?5891 x12
"Where Your Fire Service
Career Begins!"?
This message was edited by SacMetroFF on 12-24-03 @ 1:38 PM

Thanks! Curt's link was *precisely* what I was speaking of when I mentioned "roustabout".

It can be fun, it can be lucrative and it can be exciting - but if you were hoping to directly parlay such temporary work into a stateside career, please remember the pitfalls.

Brian
Please no e-mail. Public replies only. Thank you!

my only reason for wanting to know about fire fighting over seas was i want to help i have served in the army once and yes i am in the process of reenlisting in the national guard .... it was just something that was brought up at the fire hall regarding the war on terrorismand i was inquiring to see if it is true or not