Men Like Us

When L.J. Hippler, a military contractor, reluctantly accepts the ninety-day cost tracking assignment in Qatar, he is dismayed by the realization that the gargantuan job of building Expeditionary Village will stretch from three to thirteen months. Team members will begin to sabotage each other to avoid being the next person voted off the island. After an R&R trip home, however, he can’t wait to get back to his tribe. A year later, he is surprised, again, by his own actions in Afghanistan. The oldest of the team, Hippler feels a paternal need to mentor the younger people with him. Statistically, a third of them won’t make it through their entire twelve-month tour. With his help, some learn how emotional exhaustion and loneliness can be outweighed by the sweet validation of completing the year. Home at last, and a member of a quiet but indispensable new confraternity of overseas civilian contractors, he feels both lucky and proud to be one of them.