Comments

• Gecco 7/2/2012 6:21:37 PM

  The veteran sensor operator cited in the article was a female staff sergeant. According to my recollection, SHE was the first RPA sensor operator to attain a 27th oak leaf cluster. Incidentally, she was seeking to separate from the Air Force at the time of her aerial achievement decoration. Sadly, sensor operator retainment has been a particularly tenous matter for the Air Force.

• MAJOR CHRISTIAN "GECCO" SENN 7/18/2012 8:45:46 AM

  Although RPA crews do enjoy many advantages of the enduring “one-G” environment, the RPA lifestyle is not always an enviable one. Particularly in active duty units, the quality of life has often suffered due to under-manning and exhaustive work hours. In order to meet the insatiable demand for full motion video, RPA squadrons have been under perpetual “surge” conditions for the better part of the past decade. Despite the considerable lack of human resources, these units have maximized their airborne dwell time by conducting round-the-clock operations with minimum staffing. The continuous high operational tempo has significantly diminished the quality of life for members of the RPA community including the substantial intelligence contingent embedded within the units. The Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base completed a study on the prevalence of occupational burnout amongst RPA operators. Published in June 2011, the aerospace medical report highlighted the increasing the occupational risks endured by RPA crews. The final report can be found at http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA548103.