Escape in Iraq: The Thomas Hamill Story
I decided to reread and then review all the books I own that are related to private contractors. I will choose their order with a highly scientific method: by pulling them off the shelf from left to right.
First up is the story of Thomas Hamill, a KBR truck driver, who was kidnapped and held hostage in Iraq, until he escaped after 24 days.
I remember visiting Camp Navistar, near the Kuwait/Iraq border, several times not long after Hamill was kidnapped and several members of his KBR convoy were killed. There were civilian 
contractor truck drivers there, and I wondered if they were worried or frightened by what happened. They sure didn’t look it. Like Hamill describes in the book, they were all there by choice to do an important job.
Escape in Iraq: The Thomas Hamill Story
Because of the focus of Danger Zone Jobs, I like to read books that describe what it’s like working as a contractor, and in this one most of the first 40 pages talk about his background, including how he made the decision as a farmer/truck driver in Mississippi to go to Iraq, the process of getting hired by KBR, and what it was like working as a KBR convoy commander at Camp Anaconda in Iraq.
Hamill video on Al-Jazeera
What made the book especially vivid for me, as crazy as this sounds, is Hamill’s descriptions of what his captors gave him to eat. I spent 16 years in Kuwait and as a result, could see, smell and taste all the food he was talking about. I could also picture the desert shacks they hid him in, as will anyone who’s been in the Middle East. The collection of photos throughout also helps give you a clear sense of person and place.
I highly recommend reading this book for what it is: an honest hard-working contractor’s story told without frills. I liked these comments from the Air Force SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) debriefers who interviewed Hamill:
“We don’t know how you did it. Your aren’t a soldier, and you haven’t been trained. We have a book we go by, we train by this book. You don’t have the book, yet you did everything right in line with it’s instructions.”
Available through Amazon: Escape in Iraq: The Thomas Hamill Story
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9 Responses to “Escape in Iraq: The Thomas Hamill Story”
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I met Thomas briefly when going through the KBR boot camp in Huston, Texas. Even though KBR truck driver in the Green Zone told me the acronym stood for Killem’, Baggem’, and Replacem’, I was impressed when I learned he was still a KBR employee and will probably have a job for life if he wishes.
I knew another guy who was injured; Caught a bullet falling out of the sky at Camp Victor that hit him in the ribs and traversed through his torso and lodged on the inside of his pelvis. That hit gave him an instant elevation from Subcontracts Administrator to the Procurement Manager of Iraq and Afghanistan. Wow, it certainly pays to get hit while working for KBR, well really, SEII (They Cayman Island) company where KBR paid less than $ 1000 a year for a post office box. Glenn came out of his ordeal just fine. The Army on the other hand did not impress me as they did not even come to find out if he was hit from a sniper at the treeline. Hell, it was only a KBR employee.
I have a question for the Army - Why, when KBR convoys are hit and KBR employees are getting killed, are you not there with them fighting to save them like the LOGCAP contract states? Instead, your tails are between your legs and you run off and abandon your Principles. This, my friends, is why the State Department does not “hire” you to protect them. At least Blackwater WILL stay and fight to the death.
I would like to hear some more stories come forward like this or lets hear from other KBR drivers. Did the brave Army stay and fight or did they run ahead and away from the fight.
hey buddy i have seen the same thing so many times .i was in iraq for 3 years i was tommys boss for a short time and was very happy to see him get out of that shit on that fatful day in april .i was in anaconda waiting for the cashaltys to come in the front gat but as ushal it was al fuba .to much bad info from army .so what was new so many times on the convoys from anywhere was the army so bad at what they done it was embarassing to watch a so called proffesional army do its work sorry served in the brittish army for 14 years no comparison
Exactly, Oct. 10, 2007, our DEFAC GOT HIT, CAMP LIBERTY, ARMY CAME PICKED UP 2 FEMALE SOLDERS THAT DIDN’T MAKE IT, BUT, FORGOT THEIR LEG AND FOOT…NEVER CAME BACK TO HELP CLEAN UP THE BLOODY MESS…KBR O&M AND CONSTRUCTION PULLED TOGETHER HAD IT CLEANED UP AND RESTORED BY MIDNIGHT CHOW AS IF NOTHING HAD HAPPENED…WE GOT IN TROUBLE FOR IT…WE WEREN’T TRAINED IN BIO-HAZARD WASTE…SITE MANAGER SAID SHE WOULD DO THE SAME THING ALL OVER AGAIN…THEY NEVER DID THANK US OR CHECK ON THE SITUATION. THE ARMY SAYS WE ARE HERE BY CHOICE AND IT IS TRUE, FOR MOST THANKS TO THE ECONOMY, BUT, THE ARMY WOULDN’T KNOW HOW TO WIPE THEIR OWN ASS WITHOUT US…DIFFERENT ARMY THAN WHEN I WAS IN.
Can some one answer a question for me. I’m thinking on going over there to drive tractor trailer in the convoy’s, how much does a person get payed, I didn’t understand what KBR was saying, so if there is someone out there that’s been there driving lately could you give me a ballpark amount per week or month’s. Thanks a Million. also, is it as bad as it was with the shooting of KBR convoys ?
Y’all are crazy a lot of the contractors that are deployed wther it be iraq or afganasthan have no clue what they are doing when it comes to thier job they are there on false pretenses collecting a paycheck ao i dont feel sorry for you if they dont come back to check on
and they teach u how wipe your ass in boot camp dont you remember
i was there at liberty when that dfac got hit serving in the military didnt o back to that dfac for a while but i also work with LSi and kbr the next year so i have seen both sides to the story
Has anyone heard about failing the WABI test
to chat with a driver from kbr about the job.
Can anyone hok me up with a recruiter for security contractor job in Kuwait or Iraq? if so have them contact me by e mail dangetten@yahoo.com
Dan, if you want a job in security, know that recruiters won’t contact you initially! In this business, you have to initiate contact first. Be patient! It takes MONTHS and like me, you’ll probably get frustrated. My recommendation is this:
- go through every company on the dangerzonejobs.com website and upload your resume.
- Get plugged in on your e-mail via hits from companies from their websites via those “send an e-mail with key words for these kinds of jobs”.
- understand there are THOUSANDS of people like us, applying for just ONE job. the recruiters have their pick of the very best.
- you’ll feel qualified for some jobs and never hear a thing—-its quite frustrating.
I’m leaving for Iraq next weekend for a contractor company and it took me since May 09 (5 months). And I was trained and had a military background to boot!
Oh, and if you have a security clearance, that is helpful.
Good luck and hang in there!