AL-FARIS, Iraq — Just about every man from the village of al-Faris has worked at the nearby Taji military base. The American money and influence is seen in the new cars, the additions to houses, even the billiards hall with a guitar from an American soldier.
But now, as the American military winds down its time in Iraq, the Iraqis who once worked so closely with U.S. forces are starting to wonder what will happen to them.
“The military is starting to withdraw, and its influence is being felt,” said Sheikh Lukman Rahman Hama, the village’s senior administrator. “We were lucky because the Americans offered us jobs. The Iraqi government did not offer us jobs.”
For the vast majority of Iraqis, their closest contact with Americans has been with troops hidden behind layers of body armor, wearing tinted glasses and riding in armored Humvees that used to run Iraqi vehicles off the road.
But there has always been a relatively small group of Iraqis who have worked with Americans over the years. According to U.S. military figures, a little more than 13,000 Iraqis now work for contractors hired by the American military as translators or in other jobs such as laundry or maintenance. That is down from a high of more than 43,000 in January 2009, reflecting the drawdown as the U.S. went from about 170,000 troops to just under 50,000.
Additionally, a small percentage of Iraqis not included in those numbers operate businesses on bases.
The drop is also being seen at al-Faris, where the number of Iraqis from the village working at U.S. military facilities has plummeted from 800 to 100. Those who have lost their jobs clutch recommendations given to them by their former employers testifying to their dedication and professional manner, in hopes that the words of a former staff sergeant or colonel will help them find a new job.
With unofficial estimates on unemployment in Iraq ranging as high as 30 percent, it’s a challenging task. Currently, 1,168 Iraqis work on the Taji base, which is home to about 7,000 people — 2,500 of whom are U.S. troops. That is down from a one-time high of about 10,000 U.S. troops.
For the few Iraqis who do work on U.S. bases, it has been a window into American values and culture that will leave a lasting impression long after the last American soldier leaves. Iraqis coming from a culture with few regulations have come face-to-face with a regimented American military culture in which even cigarette butts are supposed to be thrown in a trash can and not on the ground.
When asked what they learned or noticed while working with Americans, the word “order” is repeated over and over.
“They give us safety plastic helmets, uniforms and shoes. If an American inspector from the firm came and saw us not wearing any of these safety tools, she would fire our boss, not us, because he is in charge of us,” said Riyadh Mohammed Ahmed, 43, who works as a carpenter on the base. “It is good to see order applied on all. Order is good.”
Numbers
13,000
Iraqis who work for contractors hired by the U.S. military, as translators or in other jobs such as laundry or maintenance
43,000
Iraqis who worked for contractors hired by the U.S. military in January 2009
1,168
Iraqis who work on the Taji military base, which is home to about 7,000 people, including 2,500 U.S. service members
