cover image On Killing Remotely: The Psychology of Killing with Drones

On Killing Remotely: The Psychology of Killing with Drones

Wayne Phelps. Little, Brown, $29 (320p) ISBN 978-0-316-62829-7

Military veteran Phelps debuts with an in-depth yet uneven exploration of the psychological toll of drone warfare on the crewmembers of remotely piloted aircraft, or RPA. Drawing on surveys and interviews with RPA personnel, the author argues that while drones seem to be a much cheaper and more convenient option for the military, the cost “is paid by the employee’s mental health as opposed to the employer’s dollar.” He describes how RPA crewmembers, many of whom live in the U.S. and work long hours in isolated shifts, become “emotionally invested” in their missions, despite their physical distance from the scene of combat, and suffer from PTSD and sleep deprivation. Phelps also discusses how RPA crewmembers deal with the collective responsibility of killing, and notes that one squadron refused to kill Anwar al-Awlaki, an al-Qaeda imam with American citizenship, because they considered the order illegal. (Al-Awlaki was later killed in a CIA-directed drone strike.) Alternating between dry, acronym-heavy jargon and jocular phrasing (“this isn’t your granddaddy’s war”), Phelps sidesteps accusations that drone strikes are “indiscriminate, illegal, and immoral killings,” but convincingly argues that RPA crews deserve the respect and consideration afforded to frontline soldiers. This well-intentioned study misfires. (May)