Greetings from Iraq

Fleet Owner:

I am a freelance photographer from Nashville…I have been here in Iraq since January 2006. Before that, I did some over-the-road trucking in the States for about five years. After my [earlier] service in the Marine Corps, I guess I needed to keep up the adventure. I am employed as a civilian contractor for KBR. I found out about KBR from my satellite radio while trucking in the States.

I am first and foremost a photographer, and I thought that this would be a good way to make some money to start my career as a photographer, as well as giving me a chance to get the images that could set my career on its way…

Anyways, there are 5,000 or more drivers from the States here doing this job. Most of these men are just your everyday drivers… I hope you will consider these men are putting it all on the line to better their own lives and give them a story… I didn't know what I was getting into exactly until I got behind the wheel on my first convoy mission in the heart of a war zone. (The image of the truck that was blown up, yes, that was the truck I drove.) I plan on being here for at least one year, or until I feel that I have accomplished the goals that I set for myself at the beginning of this wild ride.

Michael Lanning (photographer & contract driver)
[email protected]

Fleet Owner:

I have been an OTR truck driver in the States for over 15 years (from Dublin, GA). I came to Iraq with a hope of making a better living than I could in the States, and to take advantage of an opportunity to be debt-free. I, like many others here, put it all on the line every time we get behind the wheel. We are not trying to be heroes, we are just trying to survive and provide for our families back home. I think the people back home would love to know what it is really like trying to make an honest day's pay for an honest day's work. I just want to go home with no war stories.
Jeffrey Coleman (contract driver)
[email protected]