Former Drone Operators Call for Halt

A group of former service members who controlled drones during combat missions has called for their comrades now on active duty to stop flying them. June 17 issues of The Guardian reported that a former Army colonel is among the 45 calling for a halt to the use of MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper aircraft. The group contends that the unmanned planes caused thousands of deaths of innocent persons in Iraq, Afghanistan, and neighboring nations. The Guardian reported that the protest coincides with a 2014 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, which stated that the Air Force has had to curtail drone missions because the service could not train and retain enough qualified operators.