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Afghanistan
Former Drone Pilots Denounce 'Morally Outrageous' Program
2015-12-08
[NBC] Former Air Force airmen are speaking out against America's use of drone warfare, calling the military drone program "morally outrageous" and "one of the most devastating driving forces for terrorism and destabilization around the world."

In interviews with NBC News, three former servicemen -- who together have 15 years of military drone experience -- decried the civilian cost of drone strikes and called on President Obama to "turn this around" before he leaves office.

"We were very callous about any real collateral damage," said Michael Haas, 29, who worked as both a drone operator and instructor. "Whenever that possibility came up, most of the time it was a 'guilt by association' or sometimes we didn't even consider other people that were on screen."
Posted by:Besoeker

#10  mistakes do happen. Look at Obama.
Posted by: Rob Crawford   2015-12-08 19:59  

#9  mistakes do happen, look at MacArthur
Posted by: 746   2015-12-08 13:49  

#8  Yes, mistakes happen in war.

No, I think the Islamists are doing it on purpose.
Posted by: gorb   2015-12-08 13:42  

#7  As I understand the Geneva Conventions, using human shields is a war crime. If ISIS/Al Quaeda/Taliban choose to hide among civilians, that is their problem, not ours.

On the other hand, we do not deliberately target wholely civilian targets, unlike a lot of Jihadis. Yes, mistakes happen in war. War is hell.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia    2015-12-08 11:41  

#6  All I remember from A-10 and Pred live FMV footage was cheering and high-fives when the tgts were vaporized. This fellow must served elsewhere.
Posted by: Besoeker   2015-12-08 09:43  

#5  Between the time of the German victory in the Battle of France and the liberation of the country, the Western Allies bombed many locations in France. In all 1,570 French cities and towns were bombed by Anglo-American forces between June 1940 and May 1945. The total number of civilians killed was 68,778 men, women and children (including the 2,700 civilians killed in Royan) - more at Wiki.

War is hell.
William Tecumseh Sherman

Posted by: Procopius2k   2015-12-08 09:38  

#4  Some background on their lawyer.

Looks like red-on-red is starting.
Posted by: Pappy   2015-12-08 08:32  

#3  Haas should consider his predecessors, who dropped plane loads of bombs on German factories. And not precision bombs either -- unguided bombs, targeted by a guy who would just barely be drinking age now, while under fire, in a great big prop-driven plane. They did their duty, won their war, and didn't buy post-war fame by turning coat.
Posted by: Rob Crawford   2015-12-08 07:39  

#2  How about a visit to San Bernardino, Haas?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2015-12-08 04:15  

#1  so. an average of 5 years per zoomie. Enlisted zoomies, at that.

Retired Specialist snowflake 1st class Haas there sounds like a real winner. All kinds of big tales about massacring wimmins, chillins, and innocent puppies and kittens. As if.

OTOH, I don't recall the USAF allowing enlisted airmen to fly or make weapons launch decisions.

Hell, even the US army which does allow enlisted reconnaissance UAV operators, was kinda squirrely about the armed UAVs. IIRC, Army wanted at least a Warrant Officer controlling the armed UAV's
Posted by: Nguard   2015-12-08 03:52  

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