Thousands of deaths year after year are results of war. The aftermath is unbearable to some, from the Civil War to Operation Desert Storm the U.S. and other countries have lost millions of casualty during throughout the years. Deaths take a toll on not only the individual’s family but also the whole entire nation. Something that has sprung up over the years is drone warfare, this was designed to effectively get the mission done and not lose the amount of soldiers as we might have before. Drones have been a great addition to the military so far but some still are skeptical.

In today’s digitally advanced world, we often are unable to “see” who truly deserves the credit for things that happen right before our eyes. We are quick to judge what we think is deserving of honor. But this situation dares a question that has taken many by surprise.  People are asking if drone pilots are worthy of deserving medals for their courageous acts during today’s digital warfare.

No, drone pilots are not putting themselves at as much risk as the other soldiers on battlefield, but you still have to be highly qualified and ready detonate bombs and fire missiles on command in order to control a drone.

This is a hot topic for debate with  some saying we should only use drones during warfare, while others want no drones at all.

Yes, it is safer for the soldiers and will not put them in harm’s way, but are we really going to put out nation’s future into the “hands” of a robot?

Some soldiers I presume would love having drones take the battlefield, others not so much.

This goes the same for citizens and government officials too.  Some think the use of drones may radicalize our enemies.  Others think it could help reduce posttraumatic stress disorder in American soldiers due to witnessing the drastic conditions and brutal bloodshed of war.

But to people’s surprise, that statement is wrong. There have been many cases already where former drone pilots have suffered such illnesses, thus bringing up the question once again, are they meritorious of medals?

Drone pilots all have one thing in common, they must have the experience and ability to pull the trigger . They do not know if there is a little child or innocent bystanders nearby or in the building they are targeting. That is why some people say they are just as worthy of medals as ground units because what they do on a daily basis takes courage and determination.

Another concern that looms over drone warfare (and will never go away) is the money. As I’m sure we all know, the United States is many trillion dollars in debt and drones can cost up to $20,000 to make and an  additional $3,500 per flight hour. All of the officials say we have to cut spending yet they keep making a flying these costly objects. A lot goes into the missions where drones are present including intensive drone pilot training, a highly complicated control room with over two hundred buttons/switches, and many have about fourteen screens going on at once inside the control room- making it no easy task for even the highly trained.

Although drones could be a great addition to our military and make the United States almost impossible to be defeated there still is much doubt that comes with it. What if the technology fails? People will always have doubts with technology and many will always believe there is no reason for drones.

Should drone pilots receive medals for air combat missions?

• YES
• NO

View Results

 Loading ...