This Is Why The U.S. Military Has A Problem In Keeping Its Drone Pilots

U.S. Reaper drones at Kandahar Airfield (Credit: GlobalPost)

Aaron Sankin, The Kernel: The loneliness of the long-distance drone pilot

Bruce Black had been preparing for this moment for most of his life.

Growing up, he always wanted to be a pilot. After graduating from New Mexico State University in 1984 with a degree in geology, Black was commissioned as an officer in the Air Force. He spent years as an instructor pilot before quitting to join the FBI, where he specialized in chasing down white-collar criminals, but the pull of military was too strong. He eventually found himself in the air above Afghanistan.

WNU Editor: This is a fascinating overview of the U.S. drone program. A must read. On a side note .... the U.S. Navy and the U.S. army are developing their own drone programs .... the demand for those operators will probably be just as intense.