The Unseen Trauma of America’s Drone Pilots

<p><i>This episode contains descriptions of suicide. </i></p><p>Over the past five years, a series of investigations by The Times has revealed<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/18/podcasts/the-daily/airstrikes-civilian-casualty-files.html"> the terror and tragedy</a> that America’s air wars, despite being promoted as the most precise in history, have brought to civilians on the ground.</p><p>The program has also exacted a heavy toll on the military personnel guiding the drones to their targets. They include soldiers such as Capt. Kevin Larson, a decorated pilot, who died by suicide after a drug arrest and court-martial.</p><p><i>For suicide prevention resources in the United States, go to</i><a href="http://speakingofsuicide.com/resources"><i> SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources</i></a><i>. Go</i><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/suicide-prevention-helplines.html"><i> here</i></a><i> for resources outside the United States.</i></p><p>Guest: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/dave-philipps?smid=pc-thedaily">Dave Philipps</a>, a national correspondent covering the military for The New York Times.</p><p>Want more from The Daily? For one big idea on the news each week from our team, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/the-daily?module=inline">subscribe to our newsletter</a>. </p><p>Background reading: </p><ul><li>Captain Larson was one of the best drone pilots in the U.S. Air Force. Yet as the job weighed on him and untold others, the military<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/15/us/drones-airstrikes-ptsd.html"> failed to recognize its full impact</a>.</li></ul><p>For more information on today’s episode, visit <a href="http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily">nytimes.com/thedaily</a>. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. </p>