The Remote Air Force

[Dave Siciliano]

Very interesting article in the DMN today discussing how the folks flying remote aircraft are integrating into the AF. Seems more missions are being flown by remote crews and there are some strong disagreements in how things should be done; mainly with pilots that actually flew planes v. those that remotely piloted them. One commander has submitted valor awards for Predator pilots safely located long distances from the battle field. They discuss how Predator pilots found Al-Zarqawi and an F-16 dropped the bomb with laser guidance that killed him. The F-16 pilot had little risk; just some small arms fire. He was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross. The folks manning the Predators received a thank you letter from a three star.

As remote pilots become more prolific, how will they be recognized? How will they attain senior rank when they haven't actually flown? They do get flight wings, but they are slightly different than those of a pilot.

Looks like they picked this up from the Washington Post http://tinyurl.com/yahhe8a

I have trouble with someone not actually in a combat situation being awarded a valor award. Perhaps there's other manners in which their contributions can be recognized.

Best,

Dave

 

[Obi Heed Kenobi]

Very interesting article in the DMN today discussing how the folks flying remote aircraft are integrating into the AF. Seems more missions are being flown by remote crews and there are some strong disagreements in how things should be done; mainly with pilots that actually flew planes v. those that remotely piloted them. One commander has submitted valor awards for Predator pilots safely located long distances from the battle field. They discuss how Predator pilots found Al-Zarqawi and an F-16 dropped the bomb with laser guidance that killed him. The F-16 pilot had little risk; just some small arms fire. He was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross. The folks manning the Predators received a thank you letter from a three star.

As remote pilots become more prolific, how will they be recognized? How will they attain senior rank when they haven't actually flown? They do get flight wings, but they are slightly different than those of a pilot.

Looks like they picked this up from the Washington Post http://tinyurl.com/yahhe8a

I have trouble with someone not actually in a combat situation being awarded a valor award. Perhaps there's other manners in which their contributions can be recognized.

Best,

Dave

Interesting.

How are people involved in logistics (say, making sure food and ammo get through) recognized for their contributions? In terms of contribution to the overall picture, logistical support is as important - if not more so - than combat itself. Yet, if you're driving the truck with the ammunition, you're not usually "displaying valor," even though if that ammunition doesn't get through, you're simply not going to be able to fight a battle. Any chance of adapting whatever's done there?

 

[Dave Siciliano]

In the past, there have been merit and valor awards. Merit awards were for doing an exceptional job; valor awards only came from exposure and proper or exceptional actions in combat. As you can imagine, infantrymen were the folks one most needed to keep pointing in the correct direction (toward the enemy). I was awarded several Bronze Star medals: some for meritorious service; some for valor. The one for valor as a V device on it. Oak leaf clusters show number of awards. These were Army awards, but other services made similar distinctions.

Best,

Dave

 

[AWACSEng]

I can tell you from experience that the USAF awards and decs program is in rough shape. There are folks getting decorations (ie Bronze Stars) for just being in the same country as gunfire, sometimes not even that close, all in the name of advamcement. Unfortunately, medals are one way of determining who is worthy of promotion and who is not. "Leaders" recognize this, and write packages for their people for tasks that most sane individuals would consider "doing the J.O.B." The system is broken with no fix in sight. That is why the few decorations I have, I actually requested to edit the citations so they were accurate. Not as flashy as the origional, but something I know is factual and can be proud of.

With all that being said, I do believe UAS crews need recognition. How they are recognized should not, however, be on the same level as someone putting their life in danger in the face of the enemy.

 

[Anthony]

Oy Vey. Are we far from the Star Trek episode where instead of actual combat/destruction people were directed to walk into a mass dirupter based on projected, simulated "battle damage" on each planet?

 

[Dr. O]

There is a sea change going on in the airforce and it is going to be painful and some folks are going to be cashiered before it is over... The video pilots are demanding that they be recognized and put in the promotion stream now that they fly more combat missions than the fighter and bomber jocks...
I personally cannot see any valor medals being given to a video pilot who's major risk is carpal tunnel syndrome... Performance awards are necessary though...
Nor can I see command status and stars being mostly reserved to the fighter jocks, being they are going to become a very small minority of the personnel over the next generation...

Change is hard, especially when the rules are cast in armor grade steel like they are in the pentagon minds...

denny-o

 

[weilke]

I have trouble with someone not actually in a combat situation being awarded a valor award. Perhaps there's other manners in which their contributions can be recognized.

And for the UAVs, do you stop with recognizing the pilot or do you give credit to the electronics guy and the 'flight engineer' who support him ? And while you are at it, how about the image analysis folks who go over the data stream ?

Valor imho requires either a gun to be pointed at you or the absence of food.

 

[Obi Heed Kenobi]

In the past, there have been merit and valor awards. Merit awards were for doing an exceptional job; valor awards only came from exposure and proper or exceptional actions in combat. As you can imagine, infantrymen were the folks one most needed to keep pointing in the correct direction (toward the enemy). I was awarded several Bronze Star medals: some for meritorious service; some for valor. The one for valor as a V device on it. Oak leaf clusters show number of awards. These were Army awards, but other services made similar distinctions.

Best,

Dave

I think that a "merit v. valor distinction" is wholly appropriate - and one that I don't think anyone could (well, maybe "should" would be the better word) complain about.

Just to look at a single real-world example. In World War II, one of the biggest things contributing to the Allies' victory was codebreaking. There's just not disputing that, in terms of the bigger picture, being able to read the other guys' mail was huge. Think of someone like Joe Rochefort and his staff - the right guy in the right place at the right time, one of few instances in history where you can say, "if not him, who?" A single group of people, with a single person in particular, but for whose actions we'd probably be looking at a different world today.

That kind of contribution is...errr...worthy of praise, to say the least.

Yet, and without intending to denigrate or take anything away from it, valor in the face of danger it is not. Valor speaks for itself.

I suppose the two really aren't even comparable in most instances. The two are important in their own ways, equally indispensable in their own ways, and equally worthy of recognition in their own ways.

Nor are the two mutually exclusive. Chamberlain at Gettysburg would be a good example - a bayonet charge that saved a battle that [probably] saved a war.

 

[Dave Siciliano]

Well said David! Each has it's place.

I understand trying to reward the folks flying remotely. They are indispensable and more will shift to their shoulders, but those are not combat positions where personal valor comes into play.

And, conversely, because one was valorous, doesn't mean their effort was a pivotal to the effort. But positioning oneself in harm's way and performing as one should while under fire does deserve distinction.

Each type of award has different levels of distinction.

Best,

Dave

 

[EvilEagle]

True this is a tough issue. A lot of my friends have gotten shoved into the RPV world with no chance of returning to anything tactical.

The AF is demanding more and more RPV orbits worldwide so the guys that start out in the remote world will have more opportunity for command in the future than us old air-breather's.

They have had one test class of non-traditional pilot training specifically for RPV's. However, 99% of the people flying RPVs are graduates of traditional USAF pilot training. How's that for crushing the dreams of a new LT?