Spec ops aviation unit seeks mechanics, others

[Marauder06]

Indeed I did, hence the use of "YOLO" and my almost patented "..." to indicate only the driest of delivery and sarcasm.

Now, under "professional development" I'd like to offer the following constructive criticism: I think your post would carry more punch had it included mention of a new award, medal, or "bling" for those traumatized UAV pilots, an award to recognize their sacrifice and shared danger while in a climate controlled trailer an hour or so away from Vegas.

None of this ultimately matters because at the rate amlove21 is progressing you and I will be out of a job soon enough anyway, our commentary neither witty nor funny.

I bow before your superior cynicism. Further, I agree that you and I should step down and make room for new blood.


Hahahahaha, I almost said that with a straight face. We are NEVER giving up power. Long Live the Admins!!!

 

[Ranger Psych]

That's Fucking Awesome, Amlove.

 

[LimaOscarSierraTango]

Let me put a little real world twist on this, and illustrate the lengths of which I will go to illustrate this UAV double standard/medals/PTSD thing.

Lots of times, UAV's (actually referred to as RPA or Remote Powered Aircraft), have trouble like any other plane. Engine trouble, lost computer link, etc. Well, Pararescue teams are tasked with the recovery of sensitive items. Ipso facto, we get the call every time one of these things might crash into something. So, an entire SOF team and SOF Enabler team get woken up because these things limp home, and almost every time they make it home with no issue. Well, except that we stay up for 8 hours watching it fly home without incident.

Well, we started a little joke. We take one PJ and make him run, in full kit, to the trailer where the actual pilot sits. Sometimes we call, sometimes we show up in person- but every single time something happens, we send someone for the "pilot". This was hilarous the first, I don't know, 40 times? Some RPA pilots have not found it funny. The solution? Our commander, in hilarious straight faced seriousness said, "Hey, they want in the game, they play by the rules. No plane goes down without the pilot being saved by a GA Team."

We do this every time. We take their job very, very seriously.

That is awesome.

 

[amlove21]

That is awesome.

It's taken on a life of its own, really. Some guys just the the cc to call, some guys get full on battle ready and ride a quad, one guy got the pilot a coffee and a card for the chaplain (if he needed to talk)

 

[amlove21]

Oh and long live the admins indeed! Cien don! Ill quietly wait and perfect my tasks until the time comes for me to step up and save the world. Like that quarterback in San Fran or that small furry gentleman in the book about midgets and eagles and little angry dwarves or whatever.

 

[Polar Bear]

Oh and long live the admins indeed! Cien don! Ill quietly wait and perfect my tasks until the time comes for me to step up and save the world. Like that quarterback in San Fran or that small furry gentleman in the book about midgets and eagles and little angry dwarves or whatever.

Wizard of Oz

 

[amlove21]

Wizard of Oz

Hmmmm, nope. It had the long walk for something? A piece of jewlery I thought.

 

[LimaOscarSierraTango]

It's taken on a life of its own, really. Some guys just the the cc to call, some guys get full on battle ready and ride a quad, one guy got the pilot a coffee and a card for the chaplain (if he needed to talk)

Has anyone put any dressings on any of the pilots? How has this gone over with their command? Maybe someone should print up a satirical certificate for a purple heart or a phony medal and start giving those to pilots that damage or crash and burn their UAV.

Remember though, it's all fun and games until someone gets hot coffee spilled on their joy stick... and/or joystick.

 

[Worldweaver]

It's taken on a life of its own, really. Some guys just the the cc to call, some guys get full on battle ready and ride a quad, one guy got the pilot a coffee and a card for the chaplain (if he needed to talk)

We had to do a UAV "recovery" one time. I wish we would have thought about doing that but everyone was pretty pissed, may have turned into a birthday party :die:

 

[Marauder06]

Wait a minute, your pilots are actually forward? Our "pilots" were back in Nevada, IIRC, the only people forward were the maintainers and the like. We had people "directing" the UAVs (yes I said UAVs) forward, I even got to do it sometimes, but the people who were actually "flying" the UAVs were back CONUS. Nellis, maybe?

 

[Worldweaver]

The guy in the JOC that's been on the joystick for 12 hours mumbling under his breath, "please Christ...just once". That's the pilot right :-"

 

[LimaOscarSierraTango]

Wait a minute, your pilots are actually forward? Our "pilots" were back in Nevada, IIRC, the only people forward were the maintainers and the like. We had people "directing" the UAVs (yes I said UAVs) forward, I even got to do it sometimes, but the people who were actually "flying" the UAVs were back CONUS. Nellis, maybe?

There are civies in theatre flying UAVs also. Granted these are all aerial surveillance types of remote controlled planes (ie RQ-4s) and nothing with armament.

 

[Marauder06]

The guy in the JOC that's been on the joystick for 12 hours mumbling under his breath, "please Christ...just once". That's the pilot right :-"

lol, that's every UAV pilot I've ever worked with. "Just to let you know... I've got two Hellfires..." Um, good to know dude, but this is a recon, and even if I did want you to shoot something, I'm the S2, I don't give clearance for fires. "Oh, OK, that's cool... but just so you know I've got these two Hellfires..."

 

[Grimfury160]

The Regiment has UAVs now? That's interesting.

My understanding since I left in 08 is that Regiment has grown considerably with plans to expand. When I was told fixed wing applications were already being implemented, I knew they weren't kidding. It is good to see that funding and support with the special operations aviation is in strength. If you were to be asked to apply yourself, it would behoove to do so. Great opportunities to better your career in army aviation or just in support.

 

[DA SWO]

Wait a minute, your pilots are actually forward? Our "pilots" were back in Nevada, IIRC, the only people forward were the maintainers and the like. We had people "directing" the UAVs (yes I said UAVs) forward, I even got to do it sometimes, but the people who were actually "flying" the UAVs were back CONUS. Nellis, maybe?

Take offs/landings need to be done by a guy in-theater.

Amlove-awesome, except they are Remotely Piloted, vice Remotely Powered, though remote power would be awsome too.

Do you get to punch a pilot who crashes the damn thing? ya know, so he knows what it is like to crash a real airplane?

 

[Grimfury160]

"ARMY
Muth offered no timelines or budget details, but he noted that the Army plans to equip each of its two Aerial Exploitation Battalions with nine General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. MQ-1C Gray Eagles, an Army derivative of the Air Force MQ-1B Predator that carries an advanced version of the AGM-114 Hellfire missile. Over time, the Army also plans to put a company of nine Gray Eagles in each of its 12 Combat Aviation Brigades (CAB) and two in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. CABs will take three more Gray Eagles with them when they deploy, as the second CAB to receive Gray Eagles did when it deployed to Afghanistan as part of the 1st Infantry Division in early February.

The Army is also creating what it calls "Full Spectrum" CABs that have fewer manned Kiowa Warrior and Apache helicopters but also have small AAI Textron Systems RQ-7 Shadow UAS whose video can be seen in the cockpits of the manned aircraft, a technique known as Manned-Unmanned Teaming, or MUM.

"How do we pay for it? That's the big question," Muth said of the Army's UAS plans. http://defense.aol.com/2013/02/22/war-or-peace-drones-market-will-grow-especially-for-infantry/"