Very interesting article this.
Drone operators risk mental trauma, says RAF commander - BBC News
What stood out for me is the mention of all-year ops:
Wing Cdr Killeen said the potential for psychological and emotional impact on drone operators was "far greater than it ever was with a manned cockpit".
"You've got that resolution where you know exactly what it is that's on the other end of your crosshairs," he said.
"Reaper has that resolution but it's magnified by the fact that we're airborne for hours and hours and we don't do four-month tours."
Instead, he said, it was an all-year-round job, adding: "That's where the greater potential for this [post-traumatic stress disorder] comes from."
I've known a few guys with PTSD issues from overseas ops, and they all say that the lack of decompression time has been part of the problem. With technology making it possible for somebody to go to work, fly a mission and witness some unpleasant sights before going home for tea with the family, it's surely likely to get worse because there will be NO decompression time. Does the RAF need to look into how members of the emergency services deal with trauma on a daily basis and apply similar techniques? And should anybody be doing this on an all-year round basis?
I'm all for doing things that will bring less risk to our service personnel, but the potential for problems in the future is something we must look at now.