When he was VP he opined that the average American made about 50K per year. That was a long time ago. 15-20 would have been more accurate.

These guys are truck drivers and other blue collar types. They will make 40K in a good year at home and pay tax on it. If a contractor needs a programmer, perhaps they would pay more.

I don't know any numbers on the mortality rate of civilian workers but I imagine there are thousands of them in the country and they have not been dying like flies. You can be sure that few of them have any altruistic motive for being there. It is the money.

If I'm a twenty, thirty-something unemployed bluecollar guy, I am ready to go.