Study: Air Force Drone Operators Overworked & Under ‘High Operational Stress’
- Posted on December 19, 2011 at 1:55pm by
Liz Klimas
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(Photo: Senior Master Sgt. David H. Lipp/US Air Force)
It may sound like a video game lover’s dream to fly a U.S. Air Force drone, but drone operators deal with life and death on the battlefield every day — and it comes with a cost.
The New York Times reports that 840 operators of Predator, Reaper and Global Hawk drones were surveyed among other Air Force members and nearly half of the drone operators, based on their responses, were considered under “high operational stressed.” The Times reports that what exactly this stress means isn’t defined, but it includes those reporting their stress levels at eight or above on a scale from one to 10.
The Times goes on to state that a significant number Global Hawk operators, more specifically, are under what is considered “clinical distress,“ which is defined as ”anxiety, depression or stress severe enough to affect an operator’s job performance or family life.”
Watch CBS News’ report on the study:
USA Today writes that the cause of these stress levels is long hours, limited staff and often monotonous tasks that still requires extreme attentiveness:
“There’s just not enough people,” says Wayne Chappelle, an Air Force psychologist who helped conduct a six-month study of drone operators from 2010 to 2011. “You have to constantly sustain a high level of vigilance, both visual and auditory information, and that would be really tough to do when there’s a lot of monotony.”
[...]
About a third of drone pilots, camera operators and mission coordinators work 50 to 60 hours per week or more, data show. Many change shifts every 30 days. Burnout in this group was found among one in three, the research shows.
If you’re wondering if the recent drone capture by Iran and crash at Seychelles are related to this burnout, officials say no (via USA Today):
Lt. Gen. Larry James, Air Force deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, said that there has been pilot error in the program but that he did not think any of those cases were tied to emotional burnout.
The study was conducted over six months and the Times reports that those involved with drone operation were broken into groups according to their involvement — those who control of the drone remotely, those operating camera sensors and those who communicate drone information to troops on the ground. The Times also points out the that Global Hawk drones are armed while Reaper and Predator drones are not.
Over the weekend, the last of U.S. troops made their way out of Iraq. In this video, a drone overhead records the exodus of trucks:
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Comments (84)
AIDANMAN
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 3:42pmstress probably comes from them being asked to do things they shouldn’t be doing. your comander can’t point a gun to your head in most manned aircraft cockpits.
and polititians don’t want to go with pilots in harms way. … thus the need for RPV’s
Report Post »texasfireguy
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 4:58pmYou are a paranoid moron if you really think anyone is pointing guns at these guys heads to get them to do something. Its not how the military works, those things only happen in the movies.
Report Post »MadKat
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 5:34pmWith all the budget cutbacks and laying off of troops it’s no wonder these guys are overworked and burnt out. You wouldn’t believe how many troops are doing the jobs of 2 or 3 because of cutbacks.
Report Post »bolec slodkie
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 6:22pmStress comes from not knowing.
Report Post »Ruler4You
Posted on December 21, 2011 at 5:34pmOf course! That’s the answer. Blame the lowest guy on the totem.
Indescribable incompetence and poor engineering can‘t possibly be the reason for a loss of an incredibly valuable asset in a ’war.’
Report Post »mrsalvage2
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 3:24pmIt is a cover story for the loss of the Stealth Drone that has been over Iran, blew up their missle test facility, and has now been captured.
Iran went around the system and jammed to capture.
The Drone War has reached its limit (USAF and NRO will be knocking the dust off the SR71′s and get some more satelites) and will now rachet up over the US Skies. Contractors have planes and parts to sell.
LORD HASHEM have mercy on us.
Report Post »smackdown33
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 5:00pmAurora.
Report Post »jacques.daspy
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 10:33amThe military and the VA have been very slow to cognate the concept of mental stress. Combat, traditionally is all about the physical expression, those who are out of the direct line of fire simply had different areas of expertise, different responsibilities, and different consequences. It’s a mental thing and only a few people can actually do mental. Go Figger.
Report Post »jacques.daspy
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 10:41amI should also wonder: for how long and how many hours has this particular, one of very few, drones been spending in Iranian airspace? The Iranian air defense systems are so antiquated, (but unlike the Iraqi system they still exist) that the US probably didn’t need a “stealth” drone, they could have used a flying school bus.
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 3:23pm.
Report Post »Looks stressful alright…………
bolec slodkie
Posted on December 20, 2011 at 6:21pmPTSD is higher among support troops. When there is someone shooting at your and your are shooting back you know what you did and what happened. When you sign a Maintenance request and the equipment comes back in pieces you don‘t know if your the reason it didn’t come back. These guys never see the soldiers they save and don’t know if they did saved or helped the good guys.
Report Post »mikemike616
Posted on January 4, 2012 at 9:47pmBolec Slodkie, that might be one of the most ignorant statements ever made. Support troops more often get PTSD? Prove it. Show me a link or something. You can‘t because you’re wrong. PTSD is ALWAYS triggered by a traumatic event. Seeing broken gear is not traumatic, even for people with the weakest of minds. How can you possibly say combat is not stressful? Have you been there? You have not. Because anyone who has been there knows that it is the most stressful experience in the world. PTSD occurs more frequently in people who are closer to combat and death (infantrymen, corpsman/medics) than those further away (pilots, artillery men, drone operators). Source: “On Killing” by LtCol Dave Grossman
Report Post »thekuligs
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 3:23pmLMBO OK guys I hate to tell you this, but lots of people in the military are over worked and over stressed (and underpaid) but UM this job? I have known a lot of Reaper pilots because my husband used to be in one of the sqaudrons that flew them. When I saw them–away from work mind you–they seemed in good spirits and fine.
Life and Death–well by that I assume they mean they could crash their plane and KILL someone and the article worded it out of context.
Report Post »texasfireguy
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 5:00pmI heard one of the oddities of the job is “flying” a combat aircraft for hours, firing a missle at some baddies, then being at your kids soccer game 1/2 hour later. “Commuting to War”
Report Post »historyforgotten
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 10:13pmI too, have a Family Member who flies drones.
Report Post »He gets a 20 min break every two hours. He says the worst part is the Boredom of staring at a monitor for 6 hours a day.
From Video Games to Flying Drones. He is ALways in Good Spirits. He’s just Bored.
jacques.daspy
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 10:37amSome of the “happiest” people that I have know, eventually installed a 9mm brain drain?
Report Post »KickinBack
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 3:02pmHey, that looks like me playing IL-2 1946, minus the cup of coffee. ;)
Report Post »texasfireguy
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 5:01pmOr like me playing ‘Aces High’, minus me getting constantly shot down, and the cussing and kicking and screaming.
Report Post »Watchyer6
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 3:00pm“The Times also points out the that Global Hawk drones are armed while Reaper and Predator drones are not.”
Report Post »Wrong, New York Times. The RQ-4 Global Hawk is not armed. The MQ-9 Reaper can carry 2400 lbs. of ordnance, including Hellfire missles, Paveway laser guided bombs, and JDAM’s on seven underwing hardpoints.
Dismayed Veteran
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 2:51pmQuick. At the top of your lungs scream:
SAPPERS IN THE WIRE.
or try
INCOMING
That is the precursor to true stress.
All of the military services have two groups: Officers and Enlisted. Except the Air Force: Pilots, Other Officers and Enlisted.
Report Post »sgtstubbs
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 4:00pmYou are wrong it breaks down to Officers in the rear, Officers in the front, Warrant Officers who everyone has to salute. Nco’s inthe lower end, Non Nco’s doing the grunt work. Stress is incoming, and the statment Your 6 O’clock is open…
Report Post »jacques.daspy
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 10:51amStress is “simply” a mental consequence of dealing with the unknown or beyond our control. Sorta like the “cutting edge” becoming the “bleeding edge.” None of us want to die, but screwing up and killing your buddies is worse. The drone pilots are “only” connected by half a planet on satellite links but the sense of responsibility for actions; done, done incorrectly, or not done, are still very real.
It’s “only” about the secretion of certain certain chemicals in the brain that are taken personally by the mind.
Report Post »evilhatemonger
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 2:36pmAll the benefits of being a pilot, without the possibility of being shot down. They can fly sorties from halfway around the world and sleep in their own bed at night. I would think that actual deployed pilots would be more stressed.
Report Post »News Flash: any military job carries with it some degree of stress. Especially those that require increased levels of responsibility/leadership.
diablosho
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 3:05pmThe difference is real-life pilots get crew-rest. UAV “pilots” do not. Thus, MANY more flying hours, except they stare at a computer screen (which in itself is extremely stressful).
Report Post »evilhatemonger
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 3:28pmI refer you the the X-box statement.
Report Post »But seriously, how many G’s to those cubicles pull? And seriously, what’s with the Nomex Flight Suits? Is the cubicle that dangerous?
I was my observation that “Crew Rest” was abused a lot by aircrews. Meanwhile the guys who are responsible for ensuring the A/C is flyable get very little rest when they are stuck on endless 12+ hour shifts.
Sure those guys do an important job, I’m just not ready for the pity party just yet. A/C Crew chiefs, Weapons load crews, and other critical A/C maintenance career fields are always undermanned, life goes on. I don’t believe I was anywhere that ever had more than 80% manning during any given period of time (21 year USAF Weapons Troop, retired). Engine troops and electricians are notoriously bad, 60ish%. These drone guys are well paid officers to whom I say: “Suck it up, Sir. That’s why they pay you the big bucks. Try it on a Senior Airman’s paycheck.”
apollo18
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 3:49pmevilhatemonger: (were all your other “choices” taken?)
Ref: why the flight suits, perhaps they still conform to “Uniform of the Day” standards?
Report Post »DirtyDeeds
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 4:00pmThe actual stress comes when at work they kill real (bad) people and then when their shift is over they go home and coach little league or have their wife complaining about the bills or her car is broke, the dog pooed all over the house, etc. This is actually a very deep issue. Changing mindsets from being a killer of bad men to being a spouse or parent in 30 minutes is difficult.
Report Post »DirtyDeeds
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 4:06pmReferencing flight suits:
Some/most of those guys in the boxes are Officers and Enlisted with a previous Aeronautical Rating and should represent themselves as an aviator.
Report Post »evilhatemonger
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 4:28pmThey are essentially at a desk & Nomex flight suits cost significantly more than the ABUs.
Report Post »diablosho
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 5:11pmI WAS a Heavy Aircraft Crew Chief (KC-135 and E-3 AWACS). The flight suits aren’t a personal choice they made (that I’m aware of). Whenever a crew-chief flies on their airplace, they wear flight suits (assuming they are/were DCC/FCC).
And it sounds like you were prior maintenance, so I’ll refer this question to you. You understand that the Air Force will suck every last hour out of you that they can. Due to MANDATORY Crew Rest, they were guaranteed to not be screwed with. Did they abuse it…sure. The point is, they were GUARANTEED to get rest, and THAT is the ONLY way the Air Force will LET you have rest. Now that UAV “pilots” don’t get Crew Rest, how many hours staring into a glare-box do you think they do? Different stresses have the same effect on our body, and it seems to be a national past-time to compare our stress to someone else’s, and then belittle them, when in actuality both stressors have the same effects on our body.
And I used to work more than 12 hours a day on a regular basis (14-15 per day, 6 days a week when deployed), while 12 hours was SUPPOSED to be the standard. Had I had Crew Rest, my anxiety levels would have been DRAMATICALLY lower, and I would have worked 2-3 hours less per day GUARANTEED.
Report Post »hidden_lion
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 7:29pmDiablasho-
Report Post »IF they had continued to let enlisted fly the drone, there would be many more people to fly them so they would not need to push 30 hr shifts. It is the ego of the Air Force pilot that put them in the situation. It is something that hasn’t changed since WWII. Chuck Yeager was an enlisted pilot to start.
TaterSalad
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 2:36pmOperators are “highly stressed out”? There are 20 million kids with X-Boxes right now who do the same thing…………..each day………without pay! Sounds like these servicemen are going for broke and will apply for PTSD when they get out without even being in an actual firefight.
Report Post »jacques.daspy
Posted on December 26, 2011 at 11:06amYeah, I recall that flying missions on a simulator was much nicer than the real deal, unless you got confused? The simulators were cleaner, quieter, and best of all, had a pause button. The consequences of a screw up were always theoretical. You could also crash, go home, sleep in your own bed and wake up the next morning, alive.
Unfortunately, drones have an actual sharp point and actual consequences, for somebody else. It’s not like the soldiers on the ground were actually depending on you.
Report Post »Miami
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 2:35pmWhat’s next our kids complaining of PTSD for action in Call of Duty 3…?
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 4:00pmNo, the military will draft them to fly the drone‘s for a Reeses P’butter cup
Report Post »TaterSalad
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 2:34pmTell all this to the “Grunt” who is taking on a fire fight in the dark, in the mud and also tired. Damn, General George Patton would love to have this one!
I’m betting that the FAA will “way-in” on this one and demand another operator instead of taking a stripe away for screwing up!
Report Post »smackdown33
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 2:33pmWhat‘s ’over worked‘ and ’over stressed?’ Excuses for failure to do your job.
Report Post »Miami
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 2:31pmAre you kidding me?
Sitting in a safe air conditioned room in a comfortable barca lounger playing a video game. Instead of flying a plane over an area where they can be shot down or their plane could fail over a hostile land.
Please who cried about this
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 2:30pm“but drone operators deal with life and death on the battlefield every day”
Oh spare me the melodrama, puleez. They face no risks outside of, apparently, a little insomnia and maybe being a bit grouchy. Big whoop.
Report Post »cmabillm12
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 2:29pmGet rid of the swing shifting of operators. That alone causes stress, stomach trouble, and sleeping problems. I know because I worked it for 10 years.
Report Post »quarter horseman
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 2:24pmSounds like these folkes need a 4 million dollar vacation.
Report Post »kens
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 2:22pmWould love to see “Drone Operator” become a career field dominated by women. They can fulfill a combat role with none of the risks associated with capture. I wonder how many women are actually fulfilling this mission now?
Report Post »bhelmet
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 2:19pmI am out of shape (hopefully soon to change), but I can sit at any desk and fly a plane – I will not find it stressful. Where do I volunteer to relieve the stress of those who are stressed? I can work anywhere – from home or anywhere else – I am willing to do my part.
Report Post »tracer51250
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 2:15pmNot to sound paranoid but here’s a scary thought: Who‘s to say that in the near future our military sitting at an unknown location who have a screen showing somewhere else won’t be using those drones to bomb somewhere here in the U.S. unknowingly?
Report Post »hidden_lion
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 7:31pmThey will be. They are already flying them for border protection. The probably already practice targeting people.
Report Post »Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 2:12pmI’m a computer programmer. I thrive on long spans of monotony. Now that DADT is history, maybe it’s time for me to sign up in the Air Force. I‘m also have mild Asperger’s. There would be no emotional stress whatsoever for me.
Report Post »calonzap
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 3:40pmI’d like to get one of those aspergers, please. Make it a cheese perger with lettuce, tomato, mayo and an order of fries with that.
Report Post »texasfireguy
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 5:05pmthat was funny, Ha!!!
Report Post »Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 5:31pmYes. Very droll. =|
Report Post »LB
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 2:09pmwhy are we showing pictures inside of the operation center?? so Iran and their commie friends can see how the other part of operations looks. Now they have the complete package. Geez is nothing a secret? common sense…….
Report Post »diablosho
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 3:07pmTrust me…the Air Force has completely vetted that picture to make sure there was no classified information in there. All pictures are routed through Public Affairs prior to being released to the public, and Public Affairs calls in other agencies to look for classified information.
Report Post »Mapache
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 4:41pmthe ‘op’ center looks like my son’s room when he is playing battlefield 3 or Ace Combat. Nothing to see here folks, move along!
Report Post »hidden_lion
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 7:33pmThey already know how it works, they landed the drone in there country. Probably used and xbox controller to do it.
Report Post »kens
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 2:09pmI’m sorry. Stress is when you sit on nuclear alert 3 weeks out of four. Stress is when you are sweating it out for your 25th combat mission over the enemy. Stress is when you are walking security at night along the fence line at a camp in Iraq. It kills me these pilots (and they don’t need to be pilots) are sitting in nomex flight suits playing essentially video games. Deadly, yes. But its time to get off the idea that the only people who can do this are million dollar trained pilots. There are plenty of people in the Air Force just as qualified to work joy sticks as those stressed out pilots. The brass, however, won’t let that happen as they are all pilots and worried about job security.
Report Post »SgtB
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 2:20pmI agree. And while I’ve never been in a firefight, I was in Iraq for 8 months of 12 on 12 off 7days a week. 60 hour weeks would’ve been a relief. Hell, I even worked more than 50-60 hours a week when I was a marksmanship coach and range safety officer. And that was working with 500 Marines and Corpsman with loaded weapons and full magazines. This only reinforces my belief that the Air Force should be renamed the Chair Force. They have the shortest boot camp, deployments, and lowest fitness standards and they get medical studies done on them and their “stress” from flying drone aircraft on computer monitors. I‘m sure this doesn’t apply to all Air Force members, but there are alot of y’all giving the rest a bad name.
Report Post »Dismayed Veteran
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 2:55pmSame kind of thinking in the Army. An enlisted person can be an Abrams commander but helicopter pilots have to be at least a Warrant Officer. Makes no sense.
Report Post »hidden_lion
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 2:06pmIt is because the pilots fought to keep enlisted from piloting these things, even though the enlisted people flew them in the beginning. The did it to themselves, aristocratic mentality. Bunch of wuss pilots who are not really pilots.
Report Post »Ookspay
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 2:04pmThere are millions of video gamers who will do this job for free, 18 hours a day. All they need is Red Bull and a pack of smokes!
Report Post »CatB
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 2:11pmI would like to volunteer .. need no Redbull or cigs ..
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 2:31pmI need both… just to review the News!
Report Post »Ookspay
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 2:32pmGood to hear CatB… It looks like Lesbian Packing Hollow Points, found a co-pilot! (just kidding, You rock CatB).
Report Post »TaterSalad
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 2:38pmAre these operators entitled to Barack Obama’s brand new medal that he gives for…………not shooting at the enemy? The medal no grunt would want.
Report Post »Back To Reality
Posted on December 19, 2011 at 2:03pmPart of the problem is that the requirements to become a drone pilot are arbitrary. Not that I believe it should be easy to become a drone pilot, but the requirements should be relevant.
When I was a younger man, I would’ve pursued such an occupation but it was not available. Now that I’m “older,” they’d gladly put me in the equally stressful roles of providing health care to injured soldiers, but I’m not permitted to fly a drone…purely because of age.
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