Military Drone Operators Speak Out

[Clyde]

https://theintercept.com/2015/11/19/former-drone-operators-say-they-were-horrified-by-cruelty-of-assassination-program/

 

“We have seen the abuse firsthand,” said Bryant, “and we are horrified.”

[hoops5]

Interesting read. I don't have the answers.

[capt278]

War is Hell.

 

There will be collateral damage in any war. No way to avoid it other than not fighting. It's a sobering fact.

[True blue (and gold)]

Targeting children as "fun sized terrorists" is not collateral damage. It's disgusting.

[capt278]

I didn't read it as they were targeting children. They referred to those that had been killed as that. It's called black humor. It's a coping mechanism. Did you also read about the drug and alcohol use? That's how some of the operators were trying to cope with what they had done.

 

Children dying is disgusting. I dislike it as much or more than anyone. It's still part of war. Most aspects of war are disgusting.

[True blue (and gold)]

From the article:

 

Drone operators refer to children as “fun-size terrorists” and liken killing them to “cutting the grass before it grows too long,” said one of the operators, Michael Haas, a former senior airman in the Air Force.

[CBDV]

Don't sign up for the job......

[capt278]

From the article:

 

From the article:

 

The deaths of children and other non-combatants in strikes was rationalized by many drone operators, Haas said.

 

This sounds like collateral damage.

[SportsGuy41017]

From the article:

 

That doesn't sound good at all.

 

What also doesn't sound good are drone operators that are abusing drugs.

[bballfamily]

FYI. Military deaths WWII - 15,000,000 Civilian deaths WWII - 45,000,000

[mcpapa]

FYI. Military deaths WWII - 15,000,000 Civilian deaths WWII - 45,000,000

 

So, is that what we're shooting for?

[Jumper_Dad]

So, is that what we're shooting for?

 

I think bbf is just pointing out what we know and sometimes don't put into perspective...war is an ugly business.

 

The next war without collateral damage deaths will be the first one in history. That doesn't mean that everything that can be done to prevent them shouldn't be done, but it also doesn't mean our war fighters should be prosecuted as criminals when it does happen.

[bballfamily]

So, is that what we're shooting for?

 

Having a bad day and cannot come up with anything better?

Putting things into perspective. What is currently happening is nothing to what happened 70 years ago. No one wants anyone to die, but if you have fanatics that are out to get you, you must be prepared to fight and unfortunately innocents die in the process. You don't think that the Allied leadership, not counting Stalin, took into account potential civilian causalities? Yet, they went ahead with their battle plans, because they had a war to win. Good thing current thinking did not prevail with Allied leadership or the war would have been lost.

[bballfamily]

I think bbf is just pointing out what we know and sometimes don't put into perspective...war is an ugly business.

 

The next war without collateral damage deaths will be the first one in history. That doesn't mean that everything that can be done to prevent them shouldn't be done, but it also doesn't mean our war fighters should be prosecuted as criminals when it does happen.

 

You typed it in quicker than I did and you were more polite.

[CBDV]

So, is that what we're shooting for?

 

 

We should be shooting for winning.