Evolution of the American Airstrike: Psychological Impacts on Drone Operators and WWII Bomber Pilots
Date
2017-12Author
Valk, Zach
Advisor(s)
Turner, Patricia R.
Bleske-Rechek, April
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
This research takes a look at the similarities and differences between bomber pilots during World War II and drone operators in the twenty-first century modern military setting. The comparisons will be based on psychological effect of combat on each group as well as the ethical concerns related to their vastly disparate combat environments. This project’s conclusions are based on an analysis of three key aspects: Technological advances, physical distance from the battlefield, and the amount of public support for the given conflict. Public is assessed in part by comparing WWII experiences to other twentieth-century conflicts such as Vietnam and Korea to get a sense of how lack of public support affected pilots before the automation of aircraft. Evidence from diaries, memoirs, and interviews of bomber and drone pilots is used in addition to contemporary psychology reports. Psychological impacts on soldiers has been a very important area of concern since World War I when, what is now called PTSD, was simply referred to as “shell shock”. Many believe that separation from the battlefield by the automation of aircraft reduces the amount of stress and anxiety a pilot faces, this is not the case and understanding the similarities may help us understand just how to go about dealing with this prominent issue. The psychological impacts of combat on pilots is directly connected to the increased importance of airpower in the United States. The technology resulting from the automation of modern weaponry has changed the way the military performs reconnaissance and carries out airstrikes across the world. The shifting of combat from the battlefield to the home front has reduced the imminent danger that was faced by bomber pilots during World War II, while increasing the amount of separation from companionship with fellow crewmembers, and other military personnel. Public support for pilots in the military has changed dramatically with time, World War II saw immense public support while subsequent conflicts such as Vietnam, and current world conflicts have not been widely accepted by the public. The common misconceptions that surround the psychological impacts on American aviators since WWII will hopefully be abolished by this research carried out that centers around collective public support for aviators, technological advances in the aviation industry and the physical distance from the battlefield that aviators experience.
Subject
Bomber pilots--United States
World War, 1939-1945--Veterans--Mental health--United States
World War, 1939-1945--Aerial operations, American
Air warfare--Moral and ethical aspects--United States
Drone aircraft--Moral and ethical aspects--United States
Drone aircraft--History
Drone aircraft--Social aspects
Air warfare--History--21st century