Robotic warfare pilots had to watch troops die then go home

The next time you have a tough day at the office, think about what they go through doing their jobs.

'They circled above and watched U.S. soldiers die in front of them'
Story Highlights
Robotic warfare allows pilots to control armed vehicles without risk to themselves

Military experts are now looking at the psychological impact this may have on pilots

Pilots now transition from battlefield to home environment in less thna an hour

Some pilots wlecome (welcome) operating from the U.S. rather than being deployed overseas


From Nic Robertson
CNN Senior International Correspondent


(CNN) -- The Pentagon has revolutionized warfare during the past decade, making unmanned aerial vehicles, known as UAVs, a staple of modern combat in Afghanistan and Iraq.


A USAF technician at Creech, Nevada, checks Hellfire missile attachements on a Predator.

Remotely-controlled drones, such as the Predator and the Reaper, have allowed the U.S. military to spy on and attack enemy combatants without putting their own forces at risk, thereby making UAVs a must-have.

Some describe it as a version of post-traumatic stress disorder, often more associated with soldiers directly in harm's way. Peter Singer, an adviser to U.S. President Barack Obama's campaign team and author of 'Wired for War,' described one encounter with a frustrated non-commissioned officer.

"She actually banged the table, saying: 'No one is paying attention to this issue of PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] among my men and women, no one's paying attention to it," Singer says. "And she talked about a scene where they were flying a drone above a set of U.S. soldiers that were killed and the drone was unarmed at the time and they couldn't do anything about it. They just circled above and they watched U.S. soldiers die in front of them." Watch the debate about the impact of UAVs on pilots »

USAF fighter pilots like Major Morgan Andrews remotely control drones from Creech airbase in Nevada. Less than an hour after targeting he'll be back in suburban Las Vegas, his drive home more physically dangerous than the combat mission he has just undertaken.
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They circled above and watched U.S. soldiers die in front of them