Another Tormented Drone Operator

JedisonsDad said:
I have no issues doing what I do. Every night after I land, I Skype my kids, joke around with the guys, and then as soon as my head hits that pillow, it's lights out.

The fact that I get to smell that cordite as I watch the sparks of a 105MM hitting the ground, or that I get to see the flames shoot out of the plane as we unleash a 12 second burst of 25MM just makes my job even better.

Maybe this guy needs to meet some of the guys he supports. Not that there was ever any uneasiness about what I do, but the first time I visited one of the JTACs and handed the brass that killed the asshole that shot him, to him rather than his family, that removed any issues that could ever potentially pop up.
Click to expand...

Hug your "Hobbit" for me.
 
"Now" contractors are available for this year's PTSD Tour.

Air Force hires civilian drone pilots for combat patrols; critics question legality

The Air Force has hired civilian defense contractors to fly MQ-9 Reaper drones to help track suspected militants and other targets in global hot spots, a previously undisclosed expansion in the privatization of once-exclusively military functions.

For the first time, civilian pilots and crews now operate what the Air Force calls "combat air patrols," daily round-the-clock flights above areas of military operations to provide video and collect other sensitive intelligence.
Click to expand...

I sure am glad civilians weren't flying manned ISR missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.... :rolleyes: Mad props to the world for "discovering" a "secret" years after the open-source fact. Stay relevant, vermin.
 
No matter how dated the material the media never misses a chance to take a shot at the military. As for any PTSD "issues" for drone operators, all symptoms can be adequately treated by a 50 minute drive to the Vegas strip.
 
Civilian pilots flying anything but passangers in a passanger aircraft work for me. I am not sure I would like to be on the passange manifest of a remotely piloted aircraft. I can see CIA flighing remotely piloted drones for their needs. Civilians flying combat, or combat relaeted mission is well outside the "civilian piolted" drones, is well outside their envelope. If they are, PTSD would be understandable; they are unprepared for their missions. If they are really hiring civillians for this, hell; sign me up.
 
Last edited:
Red Flag 1 said:
Civilian pilots flying anything but passangers in a passanger aircraft work for me. I am not sure I would like to be on the passange manifest of a remotely piloted aircraft. I can see CIA flighing remotely piloted drones for their needs. Civilians flying combat, or combat realeted mission is well outside the "civilian piolted" drones, is well outside their envelope. If they are, PTSD would be understandable; they are unprepared for their missions. If they are really hiring civillians for this, hell; sign me up.
Click to expand...
I would guess all those "tormented" operators who have retired/separated are lining up for this.
 
Speaking of manned ISR, I wonder what my brother would think about the use of "combat air patrols" to describe flying a drone from somewhere stateside.
 
Freefalling said:
Moar UAV's!

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/the-air-force-finally-realizes-it-needs-to-greatly-expa-1747618351

More than double the drone fleet even after the AF cut about 19k airmen and many careerfields are less than 90% manning? Well, that's one way to do it.... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I am waiting for the day that they open up drone operators to general population civilians. I mean non-rated civillians who have reasonably good hand eye coordination. You know, folks with some damned good gaming skills with flying credentials that qualify them "ace" status on 7 out of 10 fly and fight video games. That could really expand our drone operator capabilities. Since most of them are teens, we could have them up and running for decades to come:sneaky::rolleyes::-":wall:.

My teeth are starting to itch; back into my wee cave in The Valley.
 
Those of us who possess calluses on our knuckles from them dragging the ground will simply never understand the reasoning behind "everyone getting a trophy for xxxx" for performing their job in the military honorably and that being enough reward!
 
I forget when, but it was pre-2011, that our airmen started telling us how stateside performance and deployed performance were viewed the same. While there's still a deployed block to check for promotion, it was less of an event because of the new focus or thought that everyone is a warfighter (or some such nonsense). It was around that time that I began receiving calls or email from PMEL* asking about our mission, sorties supported, bombs dropped, etc..... over DSN and NIPR. Moving past that WTF moment, we were told this was for various awards and decs for those at their home station.

I'd be more troubled by the award if we weren't already doing this in some capacity and have for at least 5 years now. BS or not, the horse is gone so good luck closing the barn door. Trophies for everyone!

* - Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratory, the folks who calibrate instruments and test equipment.
 

Similar threads

KBar666
Way of the Sniper
Replies
6
Views
4K
KBar666
KBar666
whiterose
Would You "Shoot an Iraqi" in Cyberspace?
Replies
4
Views
2K
LibraryLady
L
B
Counterinsurgency Redux
Replies
4
Views
4K
CQB
CQB
AWP
HALO Operations In Vietnam (Long Read)
Replies
9
Views
11K
Gunz
G
Polar Bear
How Modern Terrorism Uses the Internet
Replies
3
Views
3K
104TN
104TN
Back
Top