Originally Posted by
LivingInMEM
Are you talking about the Army 3-ft wingspan line-of-sight remote control aircraft with a camera as opposed to the multi-million dollar USAF unmanned vehicles operating over-the-horizon at 300 knots with up to 5,000lbs of forward-firing ordnance in close proximity to manned aircraft and occasionally employing said ordnance in close proximity to friendly troops?
Why aren't you smarter on this?
By the way, employing ordnance in real life and killing others in support of national defense (whether on the other side of the world or not) is in no way considered "playing a video game."
So, maybe an E-1 straight out of basic ain't the answer.
However, I'll bet there are plenty of non-rated officers who either washed out or never got the chance at UPT who would love to be a UAV pilot.
How many guys have you run into who've given you the "I wanted to be a pilot but my (eye, ears, height, whatever) weren't good enough".
If the USAF is going to spend millions training a guy to fly an actual aircraft at UPT, he should end up in an actual aircraft when he gets his wings. Have a UAV pilot rating, specialized training and don't mix the two - that's my answer.