Flying UAVs not a game for Soldiers of Task Force XII

Photo By Sgt. Maj. Chris Seaton | Soldiers assigned to Company G, Task Force XII, launch a Shadow unmanned aerial...... read more read more

Photo By Sgt. Maj. Chris Seaton | Soldiers assigned to Company G, Task Force XII, launch a Shadow unmanned aerial vehicle in support of brigade combat teams serving in Multi-National Division – Baghdad. The aircraft are responsible for reconnaissance and surveillance throughout the theater and provide an extra set of eyes for commanders on the ground.  see less | View Image Page

TAJI, IRAQ

05.09.2008

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Chris Seaton 

Multi-National Division Baghdad

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By Sgt. 1st Class Chris Seaton
Task Force XII PAO

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Flying an unmanned aerial vehicle sounds like a video gamer's dream. In reality though, it is serious business for the Soldiers of Multi-National Division – Baghdad.

Games like the popular "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon - Advanced Warfighter" even let players fly a simulated UAV through a digital battlefield – discovering the pending threats before they discover you.

And, according to the actual UAV operators, the virtual video versions are pretty realistic. Those who've played them say they get the eerie feeling that they're back at work.

"Operating the UAV, you're not in the aircraft so you're looking at the computer and you're opening menus and putting in numbers; it is kind of like a video game," said Spc. Samuel McKamey, a Cloverdale, Ind., native. "It's more serious than that though."

McKamey is a UAV operator for 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. For now, he's attached to Company G, Task Force XII, which is comprised of operators from six brigade combat teams. His company launches and recovers the Army's Shadow UAV for units throughout MND-B.

"With video games, you always push it 'till you crash and have to restart the game," he laughed. "Out here we try to make it a point not to crash the airplanes."

The 23-year-old McKamey says he's never really considered himself a gamer, although he played some video games in high school, such as "Madden" football and "Grand Theft Auto," but he concentrated mostly on sports and cars.

"I hit up the arcade at the mall a few times when I was a kid," he said. "Once I got my car though, video games were pretty much out the window."

Still, with only 1.5 years in the career field, leaders from his chain of command said he has done well for himself. In fact, after seven months in Iraq, he was given the added responsibility of being in charge of company standardization.

"He picks up on stuff so fast and has been able to adapt to what we're doing quickly," said 1st Sgt. Todd Venema, Company G, who hails from Grand Rapids, Mich. "Honestly, he's the expert out here – that's why we made him the standards officer."

So while the propensity for gaming may be relative, McKamey said his attention to detail far outweighs his technological aptitude.

"I don't think this job is technically outside the limits of most people who currently serve," he said. "This job is the future, but you don't have to be a 'techie' to do it.

"A lot of guys will sit in the shelter for 12 hours straight looking at that camera. They take it very seriously; and if they don't find something at the end of the day, they're disappointed. Those are the guys who find a lot of stuff and help out the most."

The most attentive UAV operators have proven especially useful in the current fight in Sadr City, said Lt. Col. Scott Williams, the deputy commander of Task Force XII. Williams, also an AH-64 Apache pilot, said the extra eyes are crucial on a very cluttered battlefield.

"The Soldiers on the ground can't see what's around the next corner," he said. "With a UAV, they don't have to be able to see it because these guys see it for them, and they can react accordingly."

And while the interest in UAV operations has grown considerably – both from ground commanders as they recognize the potential and from would-be operators seeking work in a growing field – McKamey's eyes are elsewhere.

Controlling the aircraft from the ground isn't enough for him. He says the next logical step for him is putting in a packet to become a helicopter pilot – he wants to fly the old-fashioned way.

Operators at the site say potential replacements show up at the gates all the time wanting more information about the career field ... but gamers beware, says McKamey.

"This is a great job," he says. "but they wouldn't sell a lot of games if all you could do was (fly around) and take pictures."