Whiteman drone pilots receive new, more prestigious title

WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- The Air Force now will recognize drone pilots who conduct remote military strikes from Whiteman Air Force Base as "attack squadrons," a designation with more prestige that could help with retention and recruitment.

The Air Force made the decision recently amid increased national attention to the unique form of stress these pilots face, The Springfield News-Leader reported.

Whiteman is home to the 20th Reconnaissance Squadron, which includes technicians, administrators, and pilots who operate the MQ-1 Predator, an unmanned aerial vehicle used for gathering intelligence and conducting deadly strikes.

Drone pilots aren't physically on the battlefield in Afghanistan or Iraq, but they conduct deadly strikes on militant fighters abroad and often can see the resulting bloodshed on live video.

The unit will be called the 20th Attack Squadron under the policy change.

Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said in a news release these airmen are under significant stress as a result of their duties.

"They are in the fight every day," James said. "These policy changes recognize the burdens they bear in providing combat effects for joint war-fighters around the world."

A study by the Pentagon in 2013 concluded drone pilots have a similar rate of mental-health problems as regular combat pilots.

Last year, a Hollywood film, "The Good Kill," compared the remote-controlled warfare of these drone pilots with playing video games.

The movie question whether it allowed pilots to become too detached from victims of war.

A Whiteman spokesman referred questions about the new policy to a Nevada's Creech Air Force Base spokeswoman, who didn't respond to a request for comment.