Iraq: A Civilian Volunteer's Story

Here's a cautionary tale, from an e-mail sent to me by an employee who was ready, willing and able to volunteer for duty in Iraq:

I am a government civilian in the Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency. I volunteered and was selected by the Army Corps of Engineers for a position in Iraq. Finally the Corps withdrew my job offer. Why? My agency took too long to process my detail! You may also note I had two years of Arabic language in college. It was many moons ago, but nonetheless, I expect I could pick it up again. I am also an Air War College grad so I have had the joint and interagency operational background. My agency claimed they might not get fully reimbursed for my pay and benefits! This out of an agency that gets $9 billion a year, and it is all Defense money anyway.