save a lot of taxpayer money. Of course an adult would have to do the killing, but that's what the militarys for..give one soldiers lifetime stress disorders and train a new one to kill people.

"It's tough working night shifts watching your buddies do great things in the field while you're turning circles in the sky," a drone instructor named Ryan told Mother Jones magazine. His colleagues, he says, call themselves the "lost generation."

They'd actually be liable for murder charges when things go really wrong (see: mass murder of wedding goers).

Lots of big farms need drone pilots now, and will pay a lot for them. Not to mention law enforcement.

There are probably a bunch of Blackwater types that would be more than happy to murder people overseas (and are able to be qualified drone pilots), but they want to keep it in the military hierarchy.

I bet the CIA is just drooling at the prospect of being able to do it themselves without the buffer of Air Force hierarchy.

Doesn't that idea scare the shit out of you.

Besides their measly pay and lousy healthcare and systemic support, that's the best we can come up with for a job I probably wouldn't do for a million $. Pathetic.

...8 years of service.

Really.

No kidding.

I think... A 15K bonus is pretty good cash for most Americans.

If you really want a look at military pay, it is easy to research on-line. The "pay" may not look like much, but you have to figure in free housing (or a bah that is geared to the cost of living in the area) plus bas (unless food is provided) in addition to retention bonuses and special pay.
Here is a quick example: I was doing environmental work for the state of MO (admittedly the bottom of all 50 in this category) and making just over 40k with a masters degree. A E-6 at the same time (young single guy) was making about $51k. For an E-6 this is out of boot camp plus 2 promotions (pretty easy for anyone willing to put in some work and of average intelligence).
Another example is a warrant to LT that was making at least 75k with only a high school education. Where else can that happen?
The raises for time in service (which are guarenteed) add up quickly, but the military touts the guy at the bottom as an example of how bad the pay is, and then it is rigged to give the guys at the top really great pay.
Healthcare is spotty. If you are on a major base, you have to use them and the quality varies. If you are stationed away from a major military facility, tricare offers great coverage (free to active duty, about 200/month for reserves).
You also have to factor in the discounts offered by many businesses, even parks that will have military discounts or even free services for the military.
Believe me it is frustrating to hear the guys around me scream about how bad socialism is when they live in the most socialize segment of american society and enjoy great benefits as a result.

On the other hand $15k is an interesting number, I guess that is USAF estimate for the going rate for a soul these days.

E-6 is four promotions after completing your technical school and requires a minimum of five years in service and is an average of twelve years for the airforce. Depending on your specialty promotions to the next pay grade can be slow in coming, especially in times of force reduction or restructuring. When I was active duty I had my rate combined with two other rates and the ability to advance became very difficult for several years. Also, becoming a Warrant Officer is extremely difficult in itself and is typically the terminal point of a career, most retire as a WO and do not seek a full commission.

In the USCG they exit A school at an E-4 and usually get A school within a year or so of joining (one of our reservists just got his A school straight after boot camp). Depending on the rate, they can make E-6 much faster than 12 years, as many of the rates are advancing them without competition and therefore aren't even requiring service wide exams, just sign offs on practical factors and minimal time in service.
Many of the USCG warrants are advancing early enough that they can enter the warrant to LT program and end their career as an O-3 to O-5 with 20-25 years of service.
From what I have heard promotion within the USCG is SLOWER than the navy.

Some of what you describe may be why the USCG is able to grab pilots from the Army so easily. They are warrants and the USCG will grant them commissioned officer status through the DCO program.

Overall I just don't agree that the pay is as bad as it is portrayed.

By the time their initial commitment is over they're making areound $100,000/year.

you don't fight a grease fire with more grease.....


and you don't fight terrorism with more terror.

and it turned out the intel was wrong or if they borked it by killing a civilian when trying to get to the one person they were sent in for.

between a flying bomb and human being who might, I don't know, ask questions?

Not to be rude, but that's the same kind of attitude that let's a cop say, 'he moved, he might have a gun. Shoot him, shoot him.'

you try to minimize the risk to both your troops and to any civilian in the area first.
That means you dont send in troops to capture a person in a populated area if its deemed unlikely that they have any significant intel or if it would put to many civilians and or troops at risk.

Right now, drone pilots in the air force are all officers. By the time they complete their initial commitment, they are making pretty good money.

unarmed reconnaissance drones.

They really wonder why people want out of the military? This kind of work is awful.

Money isn't everything.

to kill. Well no different from the hazardous duty pay in a combat zone since Vietnam, I guess.

Orson Scott Card presumed that it was better for the remote killers to not realize what they were really doing. In fact, we can train people so that it doesn't matter. But either way you can't be surprised when they flip out afterwards.