Face of Defense: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operator Guides Peers

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By Marine Corps Cpl. Justin M. Boling

2nd Marine Aircraft Wing

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan, Sept. 21, 2011 – Marine Corps Sgt. Chad John spends 12 hours a day with an aerial view of Afghanistan, but he rarely leaves the ground.

John, a native of Shiprock, N.M., is an unmanned aerial vehicle operator with Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 3.

The Marine Corps uses small, lightweight unmanned aerial vehicles, such as the RQ-7B Shadow, to provide aerial surveillance and reconnaissance for Marines and their coalition partners in Afghanistan.

“We understand the importance of providing the best view to those who are planning to go into an area so they can avoid being in a bad situation,” he said. “I always know that if I do not get the best view, I could be putting lives at risk.”

While airborne, the RQ-7B Shadow UAV is an extension of two Marines working on the ground. A vehicle operator controls the speed, direction and elevation of the aircraft, while a payload operator controls a camera that looks out for the safety of ground troops.

The evolution and use of unmanned aerial vehicles in the Marine Corps has been ongoing for the last two decades. John said he has seen the force of operators more than triple in size during his time in the service.

“Nearly seven years and seven deployments later, I take pride in seeing how far we have come,” John said.

In Afghanistan, the Marine Corps unmanned aerial vehicles support 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, the air combat element of the southwestern regional command of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force.

The work of the Marine unmanned aerial vehicle operators leaves little room for error. Providing an accurate aerial view of the battlefield helps keep service members alive, so the UAV operators must stay alert.

“Working so closely with a small group of guys allows you to learn everyone’s weaknesses and strengths,” John said. “This allows you not only to become like brothers, but also to help each other to become the best operators we can.”

John said he hopes to become an instructor in Arizona after this deployment so he can teach a new generation of Marine Corps UAV operators.

“I want to stay close to this job field and the great group people that I have met,” he said. “I have a lot of deployment experience that I could bring to new operators as they come into this cutting-edge field.”