Former drone operator says he's haunted by his part in more than 1,600 deaths

A former Air Force drone operator who says he participated in missions that killed more than 1,600 people remembers watching one of the first victims bleed to death. Brandon Bryant says he was sitting in a chair at a Nevada Air Force base operating the camera when his team fired two missiles from their drone at three men walking down a road halfway around the world in Afghanistan. The missiles hit all three targets, and Bryant says he could see the aftermath on his computer screen – including thermal images of a growing puddle of hot blood.

openchannel.nbcnews.com...

I always thought that the drones were a very impersonal way to fight. In some ways I was wrong this man watched his victim bleed to death with his leg missing..

“The guy that was running forward, he’s missing his right leg,” he recalled. “And I watch this guy bleed out and, I mean, the blood is hot.” As the man died his body grew cold, said Bryant, and his thermal image changed until he became the same color as the ground.

He no longer works as a drone operator having helped in missions that scored over 1600 dead..

after participating in hundreds of missions over the years, Bryant said he “lost respect for life” and began to feel like a sociopath. He remembers coming into work in 2010, seeing pictures of targeted individuals on the wall – Anwar al-Awlaki and other al Qaeda and Taliban leaders -- and musing, “Which one of these f_____s is going to die today?”

Personally I do not feel we should be starting wars half way across the world. There are victims on both sides of the line. This man included. The use of drone strikes is becoming more common and many innocent women and children are killed also..

Wow .That's horrifying . I believe many men who dropped bombs during WW2 has the same issue ,bit we are using drones on places we aren't even at war with .
He's doing his duty ,but then haunted by it . Horrible . More people should know his story .

awwwww very2 sad story..who on earth can live with such blood handed thing..feeling guilty all over yhe day and night..omg..very2 paintfull story..sir what you are doing is good..resignin from satanic job..welldone sir Gobless

It's not murder because the government does it.

1,600 people? He took a hell of a long time to start feeling guilty.

It's a bit late to start moralising now, fella!

Originally posted by Sankari
1,600 people? He took a hell of a long time to start feeling guilty.

It's a bit late to start moralising now, fella!

thats human man! even there is a man who betrayed Jesus 3 times..and then feel sory..Jesus is so good and full of bless..He bless you too even you make mistake 7x7x7x7 times and more!

reply to post by purplemer


The families of the women and children killed will in turn become hateful of the US, it's going to be a never-ending vicious cycle. They retaliate, get labelled as terrorists, and the war on terror continues.

It's too late now.

Originally posted by Sankari
1,600 people? He took a hell of a long time to start feeling guilty.

It's a bit late to start moralising now, fella!

I rarely agree with you on anything - in fact I have openly called you a troll before for the way you seem to just deliberately pick the opinion almost everyone disagrees with - but I have to agree with you on this one.

I cannot for the life of me understand the kind of complete lack of morality it would take for someone to sit in a chair, grab a joystick and murder someone thousands of miles away with nothing more than an order to do so.

It's bad enough when it's man to man in a war zone, you don't know if they are fighting because they hate you, fighting because they believe you want to kill their children, or fighting just because they've been ordered to. But to just murder people with nothing more than an order to do it, with no accusation or even presumption of guilt, that's seriously messed up.

What the f was this guy even thinking to begin with? When he says he started to feel like a sociopath, I would say he was one already and just hadn't realized it! No sane and reasonable MORAL person just murders people on the instructions of someone else.

No serving soldier can ever claim that they were "just following orders". It's NOT ACCEPTABLE. You never give up your own responsibility and you can never pass the buck for abandoning your own morals.

Sadly ,these men are under orders. They do what they're told . If he were to not do it,that's an offense for which he can be court martialed .
When they sign up for the military ,especially the air force im betting they aren't thinking .

Oh gosh ! I will get to kill a lot of civilians and kids completely anonymously ! Yippy !

He's probably finished with his tour of duty now,and can openly talk about it. He probably has PTSD beyond belief .

I'm guessing anyone saying he's a little late for remorse knows no one in the military .

reply to post by Rocker2013

I cannot for the life of me understand the kind of complete lack of morality it would take for someone to sit in a chair, grab a joystick and murder someone thousands of miles away with nothing more than an order to do so.

What...you really think that the hundreds of first person shooter PC and console 'games' teenagers have been encouraged to play in their bedrooms for the last 15 years was pure coincidence?

Originally posted by Rocker2013
I cannot for the life of me understand the kind of complete lack of morality it would take for someone to sit in a chair, grab a joystick and murder someone thousands of miles away with nothing more than an order to do so.

And then they wonder why their enemies carry out sneaky attacks against unsuspecting targets. The only difference between a drone operator and a truck bomber is the guy using a drone knows he is going to survive and live to kill another day.

reply to post by IvanAstikov



I agree they are both fighting for a cause.. Just different causes.. The guy that flies the drone is safe from harm however..

Bryant, now 27, served as a drone sensor operator from 2006 to 2011, at bases in Nevada, New Mexico and in Iraq, guiding unmanned drones over Iraq and Afghanistan. Though he didn't fire missiles himself he took part in missions that he was told led to the deaths of an estimated 1,626 individuals.

He got PTSD over the number on the kill board? That number is largely made up ... any kill even remotely attributable to your unit will go toward the number. Officers use it to justify funding.

Bryant and the rest of his team were supposed to use their drone to provide support and protection to patrolling U.S. troops. But he recalls watching helplessly as insurgents buried an IED in a road and a U.S. Humvee drove over it.

Good job. As if we needed more evidence that the Air Force is unfit to conduct battlefield ISR in support of ground forces.