safety of a trip to Iraq...?

Factual Questions
1

I’m working on a project that will require a small group of co-workers to travel to Iraq for just under 2 weeks. We’d be flown by helicopter to a military base, and would be limited to base-to-base travel via chopper (no excursions into the cities).

I haven’t decided if I am going or not. I’d love to experience it, but am not thrilled with the idea of travelling in a slow-moving, easy to hit target like a chopper.

How safe is this kind of trip? I realize there are risks throughout life – and here specifically – but how risky is this trip really? Worth doing? Or just plain stupid?

2

That’s not somewhere I’d go to right now. Here’s the official travel advisory from the State Department.

Do you have children or anyone who is dependant on you? It’s not just your risk. Good luck.

3

I’d do it, but thats just me. Business people are a target right now, and it is not risk free. But if you are on the bases- well, that is a lot of firepower protecting you.

If you had asked “should I join the military” chances are plenty of people would say ‘yes’. You are in a way safer position than anyone in the military.

4

If it was me, I would do it. Keep in mind you are still statistically pretty safe in choppers and on bases. I would presume that Generals, Colonels, and other VIPs go base to base pretty regularly without too much fear. Can’t make the call for you though.

5

Man, there is an active war going on over there, and a burgeoning civil war as well. Dozens of people are being killed, kidnapped, etc. every day. It is not really acceptably safe no matter who you are, where you are or what you are traveling in, at least that is what I’m hearing from people who’ve been over there. It’s the typical mess any war is.

6

I’d say your chances of survival are pretty decent. You don’t read about that many helicopters being shot down. The bases take a little mortar fire, but again, your chances of being hit are small. I’d say go for it. (But don’t let your heirs sue me if things go awry.)

7

Well, thanks everyone. Basically I’m a bit scared of going with the “it won’t happen to me” attitude that gets people in trouble all over the world.

Do military choppers have any defense against shoulder-fired rockets, by the way? Or do those attacks tend to be close and quick enough that there’s no real way to dodge them?