Jobs in Afghanistan are still available in support of the US military through a number of government agencies and contracting companies. The number is decreasing but still in the tens of thousands.
The US Army awarded the $150b LOGCAP IV (Logistics Civil Augmentation Program) contract for food, housing and other services to the U.S. soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait in 2007. Three companies were awarded the right to compete for task orders: Fluor, Dyncorp and KBR. Many companies provide subcontractor support to these three prime contractors.
However LOGCAP V is slated to be awarded in April 2019.
Other major contracts which offer job possibilities in Afghanistan include the Air Force Contract Augmentation Program (AFCAP), the Navy Global Contingency Construction Contract (GCCC) and the Global Contingency Services Contract (GCSC).
Forecast
US troops remain in Afghanistan and as many analysts pointed out, the military numbers, whatever they end up being, have typically been supported by even more private contractors. As long as troops are on the ground in Afghanistan, civilian contractors will be there with them.
According to DoD reports: A constant Force Management Level (FML) is leading to a relatively stable number of contractors. Security concerns may lead to a decrease in local national contract employees. Contractor footprint may increase with pending drawdown of FML if requirements are not reduced.
The question of course will be how many and what kind of jobs can you expect to find in Afghanistan in 2019?
The two primary sources of jobs in Afghanistan are with private contractors supporting the military and companies who subcontract to various international relief and development efforts.
The following numbers reflect DoD contractor personnel numbers and covers DoD contractor personnel deployed in Afghanistan. You can see the numbers for previous quarters here.
Current Situation
Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (Afghanistan) Summary
Contractor Posture: Approximately 29,389 DoD contractors supported operations in Afghanistan during 1st quarter FY19, an increase of 16.4% from 4th quarter FY18. Local Nationals comprise 21.5% of total contractor force; 23,078 US/TCN remain to redeploy.
The distribution of contractors in Afghanistan by mission category are:
- Base Support 4,140 (14.1%)
- Construction 2,113 (7.2%)
- IT/Communications Support 951 (3.2%)
- Logistics/Maintenance 9,271 (31.5%)
- Management/Administrative 1,881 (6.4%)
- Medical/Dental/Social Services 88 (0.2%)
- Other 690 (2.4%)
- Security 4,842 (16.5%)
- Training 1,372 (4.7%)
- Translator/Interpreter 2,138 (7.3%)
- Transportation 1,903 (6.5%)
Total: 29,389
DoD Private Security Contractor Personnel in Afghanistan
A total of 2,847 Private Security Contractors (PSCs) were supporting USCENTCOM operations in Afghanistan as of 1st quarter FY19.
Total Contractors – 2,847
U.S. Citizens – 432
TCN – 2,147
Local Nationals – 268
*These numbers include most subcontractors and service contractors hired by prime contractors under DoD contracts.
US State Department Afghanistan Jobs
Jobs in Afghanistan can also be found with the U.S. Department of State, who is hiring highly skilled and motivated U.S. citizens to work at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, in east central Afghanistan, especially for Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs). You can find jobs listed on the website for the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.
The Afghanistan Support Office (ASO) is seeking to hire highly skilled and motivated United States citizens for jobs in Afghanistan. Applicants must be U.S. citizens able to obtain the required security, medical, and ethics clearances.
Applicants for these jobs in Afghanistan must be U.S. citizens. Candidate selection is based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the applicant’s relevant work experience and subject matter expertise.
Jobs in Afghanistan with the United Nations Development Program & USAID
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Afghanistan invites highly qualified and experienced persons to apply for excellent opportunities and assignments in the Country Office and Projects. UNDP is looking for competent and motivated persons with a strong believe in the purpose of UNDP and its mandate, who are willing to dedicate themselves to a rewarding career in Afghanistan.
UNDP offers a broad range of work opportunities to serve in a dynamic environment and to partner and engage with Government, non-government, local authorities, private sector and international development organizations and to contribute to the development of Afghanistan.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Afghanistan also employs large numbers of personnel in various capacities.
Jobs in Afghanistan with Relief Organizations
Many companies hire for relief, humanitarian and development work in places like Afghanistan. If this interests you, ReliefWeb is a good place to start.
Afghanistan Jobs with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers
Overseas Contingency Employment Opportunities.
According to their website: “We are seeking motivated professionals to deploy in support of contingency missions throughout the U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility. Currently, there are several opportunities for deployment available including Afghanistan and Kuwait in support of Forward Engineer Support Teams and Occupational Command Posts. “
How to Find Jobs in Afghanistan Faster
Danger Zone Jobs tracks more than 300 companies with overseas contracting jobs in Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries. You can find out more here.