For the first time since the Second World War the Air Force is training enlisted personnel as pilots. The Air Force recently selected 10 enlisted Airmen to learn to fly the RQ-4 Global Hawk drone. They will train alongside officers starting in October and are expected to graduate in 2017. “We’re opening the RQ-4 career field to enlisted pilots for the first time,” said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James. “We’ll take this important step in a deliberate manner so that we can learn what works and what we’ll need to adjust as we integrate our highly capable enlisted force into flying this weapons system. The intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission continues to grow in importance and our enlisted force will be central to our success.”
The enlisted folks will undergo the same training as the officers and have the same duties and responsibilities when they go to work. The Air Force eventually plans to train 200 enlisted personnel as drone pilots and the head of the enlisted force has is confident they’ll do fine. “There has never been a doubt that our enlisted corps could step up and accomplish this mission for our Air Force,” said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Cody. “We’ll certainly see that as the first enlisted Airmen go through the training. They will set the tone for the future of the RPA enterprise.”
