Internal memo: Air Force severely lacking drone pilots

By Ed Komenda

Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015 | 5:40 p.m.

Because of a beefed-up demand for drone strikes in the Middle East and a shortage of pilots, the United States Air Force’s drone fleet has been stretched to a "breaking point,"according to an internal memo obtained by The Daily Beast.

The New York-based website cited an Air Force memo issued by Command General Herbert “Hawk” Carlisle, who said the lack of manpower has been that way “for a long time.”

“We are about to see a perfect storm of increased COCOM (Combatant Commander) demand, accession reductions, and outflow increases that will damage the readiness and combat capability of the MQ-1/9 enterprise for years to come,” reads Carlisle’s memo, according to The Daily Beast. “I am extremely concerned.”

“MQ-1/9” is Air Force lingo for the Predator and Reaper drones, which are remotely flown by stateside pilots over the Middle East and Afghanistan to destroy terrorists with Hellfire missiles or smart bombs.

The crews mentioned in the memo are much like the drone fleet located at Creech Air Force Base in Indian Springs, about 45 miles north of Las Vegas. The Creech crew is one of many dotted across the United States, where drones are controlled by pilots in grounded cockpits linked to satellites.

Nevada was one of six states authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration to test drones as the FAA develops drone regulations.