Former Air Force Drone Operator Speaks Out Against US Atrocities
by Brett Wilkins Posted on February 08, 2020
Brandon Bryant was a sensor operator of USAF unmanned aerial drones from 2006 to 2011. His job was targeted killing – remotely firing missiles at targets 7,000 miles (11,000 km) away from an air-conditioned command center near Las Vegas, Nevada. During his Air Force tenure, Bryant says his squadron engaged 1,626 targets, including women and children. He estimates that he is personally responsible for the deaths of 13 people.
... After the strike that killed the Afghan child, Bryant decided to quit the military and start speaking out against drone warfare. Becoming a whistleblower has had dire consequences. Bryant says he has lost family and friends, and that he and his family have been threatened. However, he is driven by a desire to educate Americans about the dehumanizing effect of drones on both their operators and their victims. "I would want people to know, beyond its existence, the consequences it has on us as a species to delineate our power into something so easily destructive," he said. "Every time we get closer to that edge, we’re going to have to realize where it places us."
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