Overview Of The Job Of The US Army UAV Pilot

The US Army offers hundreds of careers and among the most successful is a UAV Pilot. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operators are charged with conducting air reconnaissance and surveillance. The purpose is to gather military intelligence in the battlefield that will provide commander with relevant information that will later be analyzed and translated into data that can be useful to ground forces in support of the mission at large. This job requires a top-secret clearance because of the sensitivity of information that must be guarded in order to protect ground forces elements, which are crucial to the execution and success of the mission before them. This job is classified under military intelligence. Those individuals selected for this position are top notch and proven to be detailed oriented and with the capacity to understand the mission, and the process of execution without any room for failure. The Army will train qualified individuals for a period of 10 weeks in Fort Huachuca, Arizona. This Army post is the headquarters for all military intelligence related field within the Army. Most of the training is conducted in a classroom environment and aerial field, where students are taught how to perform intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance. Students will learn how to read aerial maps, charts and learn how to analyze intelligence reports and convey those reports to commanders on the ground. They will be trained in aerial photographing and software capabilities. Additionally, students will learn the art of aerial navigation, meteorology, terrain and geography.

Current world events and technology advancement creates a high demand of military personnel that are able to hold a security clearance and execute this field as part of the Department of Defense strategy. Within the Army, this particular job is unique and considered mission essential for the Department of Defense. Salaries and incentive within this field are standard because of the way the military is structure. Pay is based on rank and years of service to the country; not experience. Therefore, salaries are very neutral in any position in the Army, unless rank and time in service is achieved throughout time and commitment in the Army. It is important to note that opportunities exist outside the military manpower. For example, the Department of Defense often create civilian positions and contract companies to fulfill these duties in order to free men and women in uniform to be more engage in the battlefield. That means that companies such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin and L3 work alongside military personnel trained in this field. Additionally, civilians are directly hired by the government under a different pay system that are often greater than what a soldier trained in the same job will earn over a period of time.

The Army strategy of 2025 and beyond considers new Army capabilities that are crucial to the success of the Army mission overall. As technology emerges, the Army often predicts new ways of gathering military intelligence through such means. According to the Army strategy, it is estimated that technology and capabilities of the future will help shape the future of the Army and how it fights its wars. Aerial Surveillance will be crucial to the success of the Army. This means, more jobs will be created within this field and commanders in the battlefield will be better equipped to face the challenges ahead. Soldier will continue to be trained in new technologies and will eventually give our Army a technological advances ahead of our adversaries.

The same hold true to the Army strategy of 2050. Technology and capabilities plays a big role into the success of the overall strategy. That is the way the Army is designed to operate. As we move forward, there will be more opportunities for Soldiers, civilian personnel and contractors. It is without any doubt a billion dollar industry in which technology and capabilities will be center face in order to win our wars.

The bottom lines is that anyone wanting to go into this field, must be able to adapt to the technological and strategic changes. Anyone wanting to go into this career field; must be able to adapt and embrace the changes of technology, whether within the military ranks or civil workforce. For all of these individuals within this field, whether military or civilian the benefits will translate into higher skills, unique pay scale and a very competitive career field. It is no surprise that these types of jobs are often well sought after because of the return of investment when it comes to pay, skills and benefits.