RAF pilot: 'utterly horrific' drone warfare gave me PTSD

RAF pilot: 'utterly horrific' drone warfare gave me PTSD

A former military drone pilot says he has been left with PTSD after being put at risk of "psychological harm" for years on end while viewing "utterly horrific" things on screen. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live’s Adrian Chiles, ‘Rob’ (not his real name) also said he became suicidal due to the way the armed forces dealt with his request for mental help. Rob was a member of 13 Squadron until 2017, a specialist team within the Royal Air Force which operate unmanned drone aircraft from a military base in the UK. The Remotely Piloted Aircraft System, or Reaper, was first used by the UK in Afghanistan in 2008 for surveillance, and later fitted with weapons. By March 2015 the UK had carried out some 70 drone strikes against so-called Islamic State (IS) targets in Iraq.

The MOD issued this statement, ‘‘We do not recognise the allegations made with respect to the working environment on our Reaper Squadrons. The RAF actively manages Reaper Force crews to ensure that their workload is manageable, sustainable and balanced, alongside providing world-class military healthcare for those that need it. “All allegations of civilian casualties are subject to extensive investigations. We continue to do everything we can to minimise the risk of civilian casualties through the rigorous targeting processes and the professionalism of our crews.”

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Your Call: Shakespeare - the bard of bards' or much ado about nothing?

Your Call: Shakespeare - the bard of bards' or much ado about nothing?

Ahead of the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death, Nicky Campbell takes your calls and views on the bard and why he has endured where some others writers have faded into history.

24 Maalis 201642min

Nick Yarris

Nick Yarris

Nick Yarris spent 22 years on death row for a murder he didn't commit -- before he finally walked out of prison a free man in 2004. He was wrongly convicted in the 1982 case of a woman who was raped and murdered in the US state of Delaware, but eventually acquitted when DNA evidence proved that he was not the killer. Yarris later moved to the UK, and now lives in Los Angeles, from where he spoke to Peter Bowes & Rhod Sharp on BBC Radio 5 live's Up All Night programme.

23 Maalis 201630min

Meningitis: Matt Dawson's 'two weeks of hell'

Meningitis: Matt Dawson's 'two weeks of hell'

Former England rugby union captain Matt Dawson talks in-depth about the "two weeks of hell" as his two-year-old son battled meningitis W.

18 Helmi 201624min

Do you suffer with social anxiety?

Do you suffer with social anxiety?

The comedian Sofie Hagen has spoken of her daily battle with social anxiety that means she regularly hides in toilets. Nicky Campbell speaks to 5 live listeners who face similar struggles in their everyday lives.

17 Helmi 201643min

5 live Radio Moments 2015

5 live Radio Moments 2015

Celebrating the best of 5 live over the past twelve months, as part of BBC Radio Moments 2015.

28 Joulu 201549min

RAF Akrotiri

RAF Akrotiri

Tony Livesey reports from RAF Akrotiri as he speaks to pilots, surveillance crews, ground technicians and the base's senior commanders about their part in air-strikes against the so-called Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.He looks at how Akrotiri's firepower has been bolstered since the Commons vote in favour of Syrian strikes, the crucial role of the Brimstone air-to-ground missiles, and the planning and preparation that goes into every sortie. Tony also hears from Cypriots about their attitudes to the escalating military campaign on their doorstep.

27 Joulu 201549min

Ebola: Winning the Battle in Sierra Leone

Ebola: Winning the Battle in Sierra Leone

Anna Foster reports from Sierra Leone on the aftermath of Ebola. She speaks to those who survived and hears how the country is trying to move on from the deadly disease. She also looks at the stigma now being felt by many former patients, meets some of the medical staff who risked their own lives treating them, and hears how sport is finally resuming in the country and helping it to heal.

27 Joulu 201549min

Nick Garnett: Reporting Inside the Story

Nick Garnett: Reporting Inside the Story

5 live reporter Nick Garnett looks back at some of the biggest stories he’s covered in 2015, and explains what it takes to get them on air as he is sent around the world at short notice

24 Joulu 201549min

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