Remote-control warriors suffer war stress

[superconnected]

Source: Associated Press

MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. (AP) - The Air National Guardsmen who operate Predator drones over Iraq via remote control, launching deadly missile attacks from the safety of Southern California 7,000 miles away, are suffering some of the same psychological stresses as their comrades on the battlefield.

Working in air-conditioned trailers, Predator pilots observe the field of battle through a bank of video screens and kill enemy fighters with a few computer keystrokes. Then, after their shifts are over, they get to drive home and sleep in their own beds.

But that whiplash transition is taking a toll on some of them mentally, and so is the way the unmanned aircraft's cameras enable them to see people getting killed in high-resolution detail, some officers say.

In a fighter jet, "when you come in at 500-600 mph, drop a 500-pound bomb and then fly away, you don't see what happens," said Col. Albert K. Aimar, who is commander of the 163rd Reconnaissance Wing here and has a bachelor's degree in psychology. But when a Predator fires a missile, "you watch it all the way to impact, and I mean it's very vivid, it's right there and personal. So it does stay in people's minds for a long time."

Read more: http://www.komonews.com/news/national/26420694.html

[Arctic Dave]

1. Tell that to the jarhead with blood spattered all over him

about details and resolutions. Or even better, tell that to an Iraqi citizen who has to see it and LIVE IN IT all day and night long.

[wtmusic]

2. .

:thumbsup:

[Dead_Parrot]

4. Damn right. nt

[iconicgnom]

3. An illegal, immoral and COWARDLY war.

[rug]

5. Poor things.

[galledgoblin]

6. good

I hope they get the needed psychiatric treatment, but I hate this mentality the higher-ups have that killing can be reduced to a consequenceless video game for the soldiers.

[Judi Lynn]

7. Grotesque situation created in the bowels of hell. Completely responsibility free.

Designed by monsters to do unspeakable things to others.

Doesn't seem possible this could happen in the same world where people like Mother Theresa have spent their entire lives trying to aleviate the suffering of helpless people.

[bertman]

8. Symptoms of the sickness that is warfare on any level, be it bows and arrows, clubs, rifles,

bombs, drones, anthrax spores, or depleted uranium rounds.

For most of our species, meaningless violence against others, regardless of the "cause" or justification, is a malignancy of the human spirit that takes a heavy toll.

[gratuitous]

9. Gee, just like all those dirty fucking hippies said

Who would have thunk it? Violence has always worked so well in the past!

[Theres-a]

10. Awful . nt

[dysfunctional press]

11. i know some halo players who probably wouldn't blink an eye to it...

(in fact, a couple of them don't seem to ever blink for anything)

sign 'em up.

[LynnTheDem]

12. Remember when George bUsh said we had to invade & slaughter Iraqis because

they had unmanned drones that could attack us?

Guess what.

[Oak2004]

13. This is not surprising

It's long been known that the biggest cause of PTSD in warriors is not seeing their buddies killed, but the experience of killing others.

As long as war means killing (rather than a return to the ancient ways where war meant standing toe-to-toe and putting on a good show of menacing your enemy, maybe throwing in what amounted to a sporting contest, then peaceably going home) we will have people who break under the burden of having killed. War is not a natural human activity. The killing is our own kind is as unnatural to us as it is to most other species. The cure for PTSD is an end to war.