Do you want to become a private military contractor? If YES, here is a complete guide on how to become a private military contractor without military experience.
The general rule is that if you want to work as any sort of professional for a private military contractor that carries and uses firearms, whether as part of a security detail, an instructor, a guard, etc. you will need some sort of experience as a military, police or security professional.
Joining the military is a rigorous process that takes mental and physical stamina and dedication. Not only that, joining the Armed Forces comes with a lot of requirements which includes health and physical standards. If you’re unable to join the military because of one reason or the other, you can still provide service to the country as a private military contractor.
Duties of a Private Military Contractor
A private military contracting company is just like any other company, and it requires all types of trades in order to function fully and independently.
Private contractors provide a range of support to the military, often at lower cost than having the military carry out the tasks. Private military contractors subsidize the military in positions such as force protection specialist, aircraft firefighter, armor vehicle technician, and armed security guard.
They also carry out mundane tasks such as mail delivery, customer support, inventory management and human resources.
Once hired, individuals working as private military contractors earn a competitive salary and benefits. Depending on the company, they may obtain health and life insurance, disability coverage, paid time off, retirement plans, and flexible spending accounts.
Steps to Become a Private Military Contractor
Private military contractors are thoroughly vetted and trained to ensure they are capable of working alongside the military and in support positions. All candidates undergo an extensive background check, drug screening and security clearance.
To be able to qualify as a private military contractor, you must maintain your fitness level because companies will require a performance test as per the contract.
You must also ensure that you have no previous felony charges or other related charges against you. Having a previous weapon experience would also count as an advantage for you, so you should endeavor to enroll into some weapon training courses in order to up your chances of getting hired.
How to Increase your Chances of Getting Hired as a Private Military Contractor
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Become a defense contractor
Defense contractors hire private employees in a number of occupations. They employ engineers, human resources specialists, information technology professionals, finance executives, business development experts, lawyers and production and maintenance staff.
They also offer career paths such as management training programs that prepare new and seasoned workers alike with opportunities for advancement, regardless of whether they served in the military or not.
2. Finish your degree overseas
If you are still running your degree course, you may have to decide to finish it up overseas. If you are not able to do so, you can change to another course that would give your better leverage to become a private military contractor.
Take foreign languages like Arabic, French, Spanish, and English–languages they speak in world trouble spots, and one that private military contractors will use amongst themselves. Graduate with your degree and get TOEFL certified in your languages so you can be qualified to teach.
3. Get firearms training
One very important requirement for getting hired as a private military contractor without military experience is firearms handlers experience.
Go to gun ranges and familiarize yourself with firearms that are commonly used by military and security organizations–Glock 9mms, Beretta M9, SIG P220 series, AR rifles, AKs, Remington and Mossberg shotguns, etc. Pursue a dedicated physical fitness and diet plan to make yourself healthier, stronger, and build stamina. Know that if you are not physically fit, you can forget about this ambition.
4. Check the constitution
The constitution of some countries disallows any of its citizens to become private military contractors overseas. You first need to check your own laws regarding it before you go any further. You should also look into the legal statutes surrounding security consultants and which tier of operations within the company would be illegal with your home country.
5. Sell military supplies
There is no military experience or background qualification requirement to sell supplies or services to any military. Armies buy all sorts of products and information from civilians with no military record. Anyone who sells anything per contract to a military organization is a military contractor.
Not all products and services involve active fighting. You can start selling or supplying relevant products and services to the military, things like products required for a ship to be seaworthy (i.e., mops, buckets, paint, emergency kits, etc.). You do not need to have a military experience to do this.
6. Become a paramedic
There is a way to become a gun carrying security contractor without that four year degree in the combat arms. The loophole is to become a paramedic. There are indeed security contractors without any military or police background, that got their job as a gun carrying contractor because of their medical qualifications.
From PSD work to disaster response to site security work–these non-military/police contractors worked those jobs as gun carrying medical guys.
Although not purely shooters, they are armed nonetheless, and this came about because of their medical qualifications. That is what they were hired for, and they work right alongside the soldiers who were contracted as shooters–much like how a combat medic is used in a military unit.
To get further in this area, you may have to invest in security/weapons training to supplement your medical certifications so you would not be a liability in the field.
But to put it bluntly, paramedics/nurses/doctors are all highly valuable assets to companies, and companies will bend over backwards to get these guys out there on contract, and especially when medical assets are required for a specific contract.
You could spend your earnings on going to Nursing school or something similar, and advance your career in the medical world. The experience you gained as a medical professional in the war zones will also be highly respected back home in the hospitals and ambulances.
How to Join Private Military Contractor Service Without Military Experience
If you want to work as a private military contractor, the best way to do it is to send in an application. The recruitment method is not that different if you have military experience.
To start, you should first of all carry out a research on companies that can accept your services without a military background. They are a couple of them available, you just need to know where to look. Private military contractors such as Constellis and GardaWorld Federal Services list open positions along with their requirements.
Next, you should bring your resume up to date and write out an application. You then have to visit the websites of these companies and fill out an application form, or get an address where you can mail your application form to.
These websites usually list out the job openings that are available in their companies, so you just have to pick the ones that suit you best and apply to them. The private military contractor jobs that require no military experience that you may find include:
- Background investigator
- Armor vehicle technician
- Driver/kennel attendant
- Firefighter
- Records management
- Proposal manager/writer
- Security alarm monitor
- Unarmed security officer
- Water treatment plant operator
Note that you must be qualified to work in any of these positions before you start sending in an application. Again, most companies would require that you are a citizen of the united states before you can apply.