Article

2016-02-16 -Short Attention Span Theater-

'The PTSD stems from this dirty work': new film documents regretful drone pilots

[The Guardian] Speaking at the Berlin film festival, documentarian Sonia Kennebeck discusses her Wim Wenders-produced film National Bird, which reveals widespread post-traumatic stress disorder among employees of the US's drone division.

We've all seen this film before: the grainy black-and-white shot with a crosshair on top. Dark blobs moving across the screen. Then, a pause, an explosion and dust. A few moments later you can make out the bodies. Sometimes you'll see the injured, dragging themselves out of the wreckage.
...followed by wild cheering, high-fives, and applause in the SCIF or Opns Center as the A-10 makes another pass, taking out the 'squirters' as they attempt to drag themselves off.
Whatever your take on drone warfare, watching video of a strike is an upsetting experience. Now a documentary, National Bird, seeks to describe the traumatic effect that planning and executing these strikes has had on some military personnel.

Posted by Besoeker 2016-02-16 06:46|| || Front Page|| [11132 views ] Top

#1 Maybe they need to vet the pussies a litlle better. I personally am tired of hearing these ppl whine about the job they knew they were gonna be doing long before they ever actually handed them full control of a drone. Also it's not like it was their decision to pull the trigger. Hell pay me to fly one of these things from my living room, I bet more shit goes kablooyey and I won't lose one wink over it.

Posted by chris 2016-02-16 07:52|| 2016-02-16 07:52|| Front Page Top

#2 In the words of Michelle Malkin, "Boo-effing-hoo."

Posted by Vast Right Wing Conspiracy 2016-02-16 08:13|| 2016-02-16 08:13|| Front Page Top

#3 What's upsetting about seeing raping, slaving war criminals receive justice?

Or is that what the lefties find upsetting?

Posted by Rob Crawford 2016-02-16 08:33|| 2016-02-16 08:33|| Front Page Top

#4 “I asked them how many people in the trailer had addiction problems and they said: ‘Everybody. We had three domestic violence problems, we had two drink-driving problems, six people were alcoholics.’ And we’re talking about a group of 12 people in one trailer. And it’s typical, because you hear the same stories from clients in different trailers in different places. It’s the same story. Total dysfunction.”

Maybe they should sort out the working environment and personality disorder issues first, reversing the effect:cause paradigm.

I remember long hours sitting in the can subject to any number of environmental assaults. No sunlight, no air, ozone from the electronics, forced humidity to prevent static discharge, fumes from the diesel generator or heated plastic carpet and toner in the printers, unwashed BDU butt sweat and remnants of the sausage and cabbage or fish sauce the WO had for dinner. All of this plus the EMF bouncing about inside the shielded container that caused my fillings to spark. Add to that the periodic 'covert' surveillance and interviews of family, wife and girlfriend, landlord and neighbors by OSI and you generate a paranoid complex.

Of course the OPs choose to get fried, just for psychic relief, and that introduces socially undesirable problematic behavior.

Posted by Skidmark 2016-02-16 10:13|| 2016-02-16 10:13|| Front Page Top

#5 Maybe they need to recruit their drone drivers from gamers into the real violent stuff - the games that some blame for young people becoming desensitized to violence? Then PTSD shouldn't be a problem. Though perhaps random acts of violence would...

Posted by Glenmore 2016-02-16 10:58|| 2016-02-16 10:58|| Front Page Top

#6 ....followed by wild cheering, high-fives, and applause in the SCIF or Opns Center... - a resounding YES!

Whatever your take on drone warfare, watching video of a strike is an upsetting experience - not really. Actually a great way to start the day. Also whenever you're feeling down, you can go back and watch highlight reels.

Posted by Bangkok Billy 2016-02-16 11:00|| 2016-02-16 11:00|| Front Page Top

#7 'Game Tape Highlights'.

Posted by Skidmark 2016-02-16 11:33|| 2016-02-16 11:33|| Front Page Top

#8 So now they cant even fight from their safe places. Fucking crybabies... Have them go home and let the guys in the JSOTF manage the drones..

Posted by 49 pan 2016-02-16 11:43|| 2016-02-16 11:43|| Front Page Top

#9 Modern Warfare X.

So real that you can't tell it from the real thing. Then someone in a room someplace just switches the MMO to a live feed for some players. There will be 'players' doing it for days on line at a time. Won't know they're doing the 'real thing'. They'll be high fiving their bros on the couch next to them. PTSD? What friggn' PTSD, I'm on the leaders board.

Posted by Procopius2k 2016-02-16 12:43|| 2016-02-16 12:43|| Front Page Top

#10 Do it like Enders Game. Tell them it's all practice all the time to test the systems, etc.

Only let the really stable ones know the truth and keep them for assignments in which our guys may be nearby.

Posted by rjschwarz 2016-02-16 12:53|| 2016-02-16 12:53|| Front Page Top

#11 Whatever your take on drone warfare, watching video of a strike is an upsetting experience.

Apparently the author lives in a bubble, surrounded by a minority of like-minded individuals.

Fine, they can leave the service. I don't think anyone has a gun to their head.

AFAIAC, If you leave the bad guys in place, they will kill way more good guys than if you take them out along with a few good guys. A sad necessity since the bad guys set it up that way, and the "good" guys go along with it.

Posted by gorb 2016-02-16 13:05|| 2016-02-16 13:05|| Front Page Top

#12 I remember a friend who once commented "The Air Force is a collection of Gentlemen who share a common tailor". Maybe the screening for these guys needs some tweeking?

Posted by NoMoreBS 2016-02-16 17:04|| 2016-02-16 17:04|| Front Page Top

#13 To the left, all military are either mindless killers or helpless victims. Fill in the blanks for macro template 2. The story practically writes itself.

Yeah, weed out the total pussies for duty at the White House, where that sort of thing is appreciated.

Posted by Betty Hitler2611 2016-02-16 17:54|| 2016-02-16 17:54|| Front Page Top

#14 Bowling for Taliban?

Posted by swksvolFF 2016-02-16 20:18|| 2016-02-16 20:18|| Front Page Top

#15 aw FFS snowflakes there are several million MMORPG dudes out there who would crave the chance.....just sayin'

Posted by Pearl Sinatra4243 2016-02-16 21:48|| 2016-02-16 21:48|| Front Page Top

07:03 NN2N1
06:58 NN2N1
06:58 Besoeker
05:28 Whiskey Mike
05:23 Whiskey Mike
05:21 Whiskey Mike
05:18 Whiskey Mike
05:15 Whiskey Mike
05:13 Whiskey Mike
05:08 Whiskey Mike
05:05 Whiskey Mike
05:03 Whiskey Mike
03:23 Besoeker
02:05 Grom the Affective
02:04 Grom the Affective
01:26 49 Pan
00:22 EMS Artifact
00:16 Skidmark