March 23,2008:
A year ago, the U.S. Army was only
getting about a third of its requests for Predator missions filled. The surge
campaign was under way, and the new Secretary of Defense got involved with the growing number
of complaints from army officers about the Predator shortage. The air force had
about a hundred Predators, but only a dozen were in Iraq. Questions were asked.
The air
force said it did not have enough Predators, and that there was also a shortage
of Predator operators. A typical Predator crew consists of an pilot and a
sensor operator. Because the Predator stays in the air for so long, more than
one crew is often used for each sortie. Crew shortages sometimes result in
Predators coming down before their fuel is used up. The air force insists that
existing pilots (of manned aircraft) be trained as Predator operators. The army
uses NCOs trained specifically for UAV operation. The army has no operator
shortage.
Ever since
World War II, there's been a controversy over whether all pilots (most of whom
are highly trained warriors, not leaders, which is what officers are supposed
to be) must be officers. At the start of World War II, the army air force
(there was no separate air force yet)
had enlisted pilots, as did the navy. These men were NCOs ("flying
sergeants") selected for their flying potential and trained to be pilots. Not
leaders of pilots, but professional pilots of fighters, bombers and whatnot.
Officers trained as pilots would also fly, but in addition they would provide
the leadership for the sergeant pilots in the air and on the ground. As the
Army Air Corps changed into the mighty Army Air Force (with 2.4 million
personnel, and 80,000 aircraft, at its peak), its capable and persuasive
commander (General Hap Arnold), insisted that all pilots be officers. Actually,
he wanted them all to be college graduates as well, until it was pointed out
that the pool of college graduates was too small to provide the 200,000 pilots
the Army Air Force eventually trained. But Arnold forced the issue on only
officers being pilots, and the navy had to go along to remain competitive in
recruiting.
Because of
Iraq and Afghanistan, the army has also increased UAV operator training, and
actually has far more UAVs than the air force. But most of the army UAVs are
micro (under ten pounds) models, used by combat units (companies and battalion
size units). These UAVs are designed to be very simple to use, requiring little
formal training. Brigades and divisions use larger, but smaller than Predator,
models. Most army UAV operators are not, like air force ones, pilots.
The
Secretary of Defense ordered the air force to get more Predators to Iraq, and
there are about two dozen there now. To deal with the UAV operator shortage, the
air force has been recalling Predator pilots who have returned to their regular
flying jobs. Until recently, being a Predator operator was a temporary (three
year) assignment. Now, the air force is making it a career option, but it will
take several years before they have enough career UAV pilots. The army
complains that the air force is not operating like there's a war on, while the
army is. While the air force complains that their UAV operators are working
twelve hour shifts, six days a week, the army points out that the Predator
operators are stationed in the U.S. (and control the UAVs via a satellite
link). Air force personnel in Iraq (ground crews for the Predators) serve six
month tours. Meanwhile, soldiers serve 15 month tours in Iraq, work 12 hour
shifts, and get shot at a lot.
The army
is buying a smaller version of the Predator (the Warrior) [PHOTO] and will be using
NCOs and warrant officers as operators. The army is taking advantage of the
fact that a UAV operator can become proficient practicing with the kind of
flight simulator software you can buy in a game store. The air force does not
agree with this approach, and fears unfavorable comparisons to their more
complex and expensive approach to obtaining UAV operators. A lot of the bad
blood between the army and air force comes down to how each service understands
wars, and how they are fought. The air force has always been into new
technologies, and new ways of fighting wars. The army is more about getting
down and dirty and just getting the job done. The Secretary of Defense is siding with the army, and is
telling the air force to get off their butts and get more Predators into the
air, or else.