On killing remotely The psychology of killing with drones

Military veterans Phelps and Grossman (On Killing) deliver an in-depth yet uneven exploration of the psychological toll of drone warfare on the crewmembers of remotely piloted aircraft, or RPA. Drawing on surveys and interviews with RPA personnel, the authors argue that while drones seem to be a much cheaper and more convenient option for the military, the cost "is paid by the employee's mental health as opposed to the employer's dollar." They describe how RPA crewmembers, many of whom live in the U.S. and work long hours in isolated shifts, become "emotionally invested" in their missions, despite their physical distance from the scene of combat, and suffer from PTSD and sleep deprivation. The authors also discuss how RPA crewmembers deal with the collective responsibility of killing, and note that one squadron refused to kill Anwar al-Awlaki, an al-Qaeda imam with American citizenship, because they considered the order illegal. (Al-Awlaki was later killed in a CIA-directed drone strike.) Alternating between dry, acronym-heavy jargon and jocular phrasing ("this isn't your granddaddy's war"), Phelps and Grossman sidestep accusations that drone strikes are "indiscriminate, illegal, and immoral killings," but convincingly argue that RPA crews deserve the respect and consideration afforded to frontline soldiers. This well-intentioned study misfires. (May)

A penetrating look inside the military units operating armed drones on remote battlefields around the world. Phelps, a former Marine who served five deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq, works from--and expands on--the principles laid out in Dave Grossman's On Killing (1995), which investigated the intense psychological forces affecting troops involved in lethal action. The author draws heavily on interviews with members of the armed forces who operate remotely piloted aircraft, as drones are officially known. The military has always sought to increase the distance from which it attacks enemy forces, if only as a way to protect its own soldiers. From spears and arrows to artillery, aircraft, and long-range missiles, the distance has grown steadily over time. From that perspective, RPAs are a natural progression. Phelps, who has commanded multiple Unmanned Aircraft System teams, takes pains to contest the flawed perception that using RPAs is equivalent to playing computer games. The warriors who fire their weapons have often spent weeks or months observing their targets, waiting for a time when there is no risk of killing bystanders. They may know more about their targets than their own next-door neighbors, and they see with unusual clarity what happens after they "pull the trigger." Inevitably, there is an often devastating emotional effect. Add to that the conditions under which they work, often serving long shifts that lead to dangerous sleep deprivation. Nor does their culture encourage them to seek help for the crushing mental stress. Furthermore, even as the number of RPA operators has dramatically increased, they are still treated as less important than "real" pilots or soldiers who are directly exposed to enemy fire. Phelps provides ample quotations from RPA operators as well as detailed reports of their necessary work. Drone warfare is seemingly ubiquitous, and the author delivers a clear report on how it works and how it affects the users. A can't-miss for anyone interested in current military affairs. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.