Forum: Careers & Assignments

Meteor is correct, I currently work on the GlobalHawk and we have both enlisted and pilot alike working to fly it, (and I dont mean maintainers) but it is an actual pilot sitting behind the mouse clicking "taxi" and the like. Although enlisted will sit in on the op to eval stuff like the systems or photos. We even have a pilot come do a walk around prior to launch, and its just as funny on "real aircraft" to hear some of the questions, even though I do understand that they are used to other jets, just as I am.

And while I dispise mach2 for his extra $300 a month for just the shitty base assignment, I'm at Beale and other then Creech I cant imagine it being worse then here. But most are used to it so we cant complain, there are shops that get paid more for the kind of work they do, even as a Crew Chief I deal with these systems more then a backshop ever would, yet they get the extra pay just cuz of the fact that THAT is their job.

To Mach2 my condolences also.

Would this now make you Mach .2?

You're talking about MUAVs. Not the same thing as a UAV/UCAV.

I never really thought that you may be refering to army UAVs. Those are flown by enlisted troops. I guess when you are so engrossed in a certain culture you have a pretty narrow point of view. By that I mean the all USAF UAVs are flown by rated officers.

He was talking about himself, hero.

to put up with a sh*tty assignment at a sh*tty base.

I stand corrected then. As I reread it, it seems I took it out of context. For that I apologize and feel like a fool. I am frequently an idiot about taking things out of context.


Things like this kind of irk me.


Sometimes the grunts flying UAVs from the front lines in combat are lucky to have MREs to eat or a tent to sleep in, let alone running tap water. I suspect mach2 has running water and Mr. Coffee and hot fresh meals and has the option of going home most nights to his family.

Instead of being a pre-Madonna, you should count your blessings. I suspect you’re living quarters are better than some of the deluxe family housing (trailer parks) that the grunts ( that are lucky/good enough to qualify for) use while in the states.

Somehow I doubt that you conduct your UAV operations and practice out in the open and sometimes even under fire like the grunts.

And here I was looking forward to a nice morning of fun and frivolity. Oh well, with that possibility out the window it's time to commence with the hostilities.

First, if you're going to insult someone, it's best to use the correct spelling for the insult lest you yourself appear to be a total doofus. The term is spelled prima donna and the definition and word origin can be found easily enough - here's a link to both. I can assure you it has nothing to do with being before a musician or the mother of Christ.

Now about that assignment... From what I've heard, the missions can be quite long and even while able to stretch sometimes and such, you've still got people's lives in your hands. If you screw up, people die. Hell, your job might be to end people's lives. Yes this is part of being in the military, but I've heard that it's seriously screwing with UAV pilots heads that they might kill a bunch of people halfway around the world and then go out and be back in civilization at the end of the day. On top of that, some of the UAV pilots I've talked to consider it a bad assignment because they aren't "over there" themselves.

The part about the s*tty base I can understand, too. Have you ever been to Creech? I have. While I've never been on the actual base, I know for a fact that it's about an hour's drive from the closest base with housing - Nellis. The road ain't the safest and think of the gas it costs to go both ways. No they don't get paid for the gas. And before you think of suggesting living in Indian Springs, please tell me where someone would. It's a tiny community. Part of that s*tty assignment is having to commute.

Oh, and living in Las Vegas myself, I can tell you that driving here is worse than trying to drive in L.A., San Diego (my former hometown) or San Francisco. It's combat driving, no fooling. You've got your fair share of jerks who want to get somewhere first, but you've also got your drunken tourists trying to read a map, look at the Strip, and get to somewhere in time for a show, too.

And you also insult mobile home parks??? Have you lived in one? I have. My then roommate's sister owned the place and I was proud to have a nice place to live. My current roommate's family lives in a mobile home now and are proud to be homeowners. I'm sorry to see that you're enough of an elitist and prima donna that you consider such housing to be beneath your standards.

And how do you know where he lives? For all you know he could live in a mobile home park!

And where the foxtrot do you have standing to make that last little quote about conducting the UAV ops in the open or under fire??? Number one, it ain't his choice where he does his job - he follows orders. Number two, how do you know he wouldn't prefer operating in the war zone and consider that less of a s*tty assignment???

You won't find me criticizing members of the military. I'm not one. I suspect you aren't. Even if you are, you're not in his shoes and didn't even give him the benefit of asking him why he considered this to be a s*tty assignment at a s*tty base before unloading on him. To me, that's classless, uncalled for, and the typical mark of a true jerk.

My advice to you would be to apologize, ask a few questions, and have a reasoned discussion.

Parrothead out.

After reading the last exchange between you two guys, I can say with certainty that I would be proud to know you and buy you a beer. After seeing thousands of foolish exchanges on this forum, it is a pleasure to see two true gentlemen acknowledge that they may have indeed pushed the limit a little and apologize with class and humility. Many on this forum (myself included) should learn a lesson from this. We all share the same interests and should be willing to have a civil exchange even with those whose opinions differ from ours. My hat is off to you guys.

Best Regards,

Aw shucks, and here I was about to come back and make some quip about forgetting the guys on the front line. After many combat missions into OEF and OIF, many of those hauling a max load of troops in and out of country, I can assure you that I haven't forgotten. It's always a great feeling to have that group of guys that are going home come up and shake my hand after we land in a staging area, and say "Thanks for taking us out of there."

Anyway, a couple more things:

Creech is not the only base where USAF pilots fly UAVs. I can assure you that there are Predator, and Reaper guys downrange right now, in BOTH wars. Anywhere you go in OEF or OIF could be unsafe at any given time. Bad guys still lob rockets over the fence. From personal experience, I can tell you that rocket attacks aren't very predictable, either.

Now, this isn't directed at any one person, rather, it's just an FYI for everyone to read. I want to clear up this crapola that UAV pilots are a bunch of XBox-playing, CyberSpace Cowboys, with their legs propped up on the instrument panel, and a cup of Joe in their hand, with SportsCenter playing on the plasma screen overhead. Especially when they're deployed downrange. When they're in country, their risk goes up, simply for being where they are.

Again, like Parrothead said, no matter where they happen to do their job, these guys are making real-time, life or death decisions on whether or not to put ordnance on target. Now, whether you do that with an M-16 in a Baghdad alley, or you do it from 5,000 or even 10,000 feet doesn't make a difference. When you pickle that bomb, or punch off that LGB or Hellfire, there is no recall button. Someone's going to die. I just hope it's the bad guys who get it first, before they can do it to our guys.

Again, I'm not directing that at any one person, I'm just trying to make the class better informed citizens...and I only speak of Air Force UAVs, because that is my branch of service, and what I know a little more about. I don't know a helluva lot about Army or Marine UAVs, simply because that's not what I'm used to being around.