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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50th Anniversary of the March on Washington

50th Anniversary of the March on Washington

Listen to the highlights of two special programmes presented from Washington to mark the 50th anniversary of Dr Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. Dotun Adebayo discusses Dr King’s legacy and the impact of the speech which has become a defining moment in the history of the American civil rights movement. Guests include the King family friend Juanita Abernathy, the cousin of Emmett Till whose death sparked civil rights protests, the mother of the murdered teenager Trayvon Martin and the daughter of George Wallace, one of America’s most famous segregationists.

27 Elo 20131h 12min

Kenny Sansom

Kenny Sansom

Arsenal left back Kenny Sansom was one of the golden boys of football earning 86 caps for England In recent years he has been secretly battling with alcoholism. His alcohol addiction and gambling left him with money problems so severe he was homeless and had to sleep on park benches. With the help of the Professional Football Association, Kenny has been in detox and is now sober. In his first interview since his detox, he talks about his struggle with alcoholism.

23 Elo 201322min

Simpson in China

Simpson in China

In this documentary, the BBC's World Affairs Editor John Simpson reports from China, five years after the Beijing Olympics. Simpson talks to activists, academics and artists who are openly questioning whether Chinese communism can survive and returns to Tiananmen Square, where he dodged bullets to cover the 1989 massacre for the BBC.

16 Elo 201349min

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