Psychologists Propose Horrifying Solution to PTSD in Drone Operators [View all]

[Agnosticsherbet]

Psychologists Propose Horrifying Solution to PTSD in Drone Operators
Drone operators often kill their targets from a continent away, but studies suggest that even thousands of miles of distance cannot mitigate war's devastating psychological effects. But just wait until you hear how researchers propose preventing PTSD, alcohol abuse and thoughts of suicide in drone operators.
The latest issue of GQ features a stunning read, written by Michael Powers, about former Air Force drone sensor operator Brandon Bryant and his military service. One of the first pilots to speak out about his experience with the drone program, Bryant paints a frightening portrait of death-dealing from a distance, and the psychological trauma wrought by his nearly six-years of service as a drone operator.

It's a captivating read – one definitely worth reading in its entirety – but we were particularly struck by the section exploring Bryant's PTSD diagnosis, which he received just a few months after his heavy conscience led him to leave the Air Force:

***CUT***

These effects [PTSD, alcohol abuse, suicidal ideation] appeared to spike at the exact time of Bryant's deployment, during the surge in Iraq. (Chillingly, to mitigate these effects, researchers have proposed creating a Siri-like user interface, a virtual copilot that anthropomorphizes the drone and lets crews shunt off the blame for whatever happens. Siri, have those people killed.)

I think that putting Siri in charge of all that death and destruction is wrong headed an, ultimately, will fail. The article reveals evidence that it isn't necessary to be there in the middle of it when the shit comes down. People sitting at a computer terminal in Nevada receive a "moral injury" when placed in these situation. Telling Siri to blow up those people will extract the same toll as operating the drone, guiding the missile, or putting a bullet through he head of another person. War is ugly, but it is part of what we are. Even our nearest relatives, Bonobos and other great apes, fight wars. When a war is necessary, putting these layers of insulation between the soldier and the act will just make unnecessary wars more likely.

If we don't perceive a high cost to an endeavor, we don't think about it quite so much.

If we must fight, then everybody should fight. Every citizen should pay the cost.