davejb:
only to discover that they think too much about their jobs to be comfortable with what they do, but you are in the wrong job and need to change it.
'I bombed a guy from 6000miles away and feel really upset about it' crap
These quotes don't make me 'incandescent with rage', more sad really. I don't see anywhere in this thread (or elsewhere) where Reaper operators have made statements like these. The case that some UAV operators are making is that they are intimately involved with a campaign, delivering effect on a daily basis, throughout a 3 year tour - thus they feel that award of a campaign medal, reflecting their part in a campaign, is not unreasonable. They wouldn't get the 'Afghanistan' bar, so it's immediately apparent that they haven't actually been there.
Dave, you are of course entitled to your opinion. However, you retired some years ago without any experience whatsoever of operating UAVs. Perhaps you should review your own medal collection from your time in, ask yourself honestly if you earnt every single one, and then you can continue your retirement safe in the knowledge that you'd
be kinda pissed at the idea
of somebody being recognised for waging warfare of a kind which you, frankly, have no understanding.