[balch3]

“am I missing something?”

Yes, an E4 with a HS education can pilot a drone, it doesn’t take an officer with a four year degree. So the officers mafia will fight it tooth and nail.

[grobdriver]

Well, I disagree in that whomever pilots the drone still needs to have the education (maturity) and experience to make good inflight decisions, including a wave off if necessary, divert to secondary target, etc.
The thing won't be a programmed-track, release-on-GPS-coordinates robot.

"Officers mafia".
Heh.

[pepsionice]

Actually...when my son was 16 and a big-time gamer....he was prepared to fly any drone that the AF had....for just a six-pack of beer and a pizza (no leather jacket required). He could memorize three times the amount of data to accomplish a flight and was willing to put eighty hours a week into practice.

I think the AF is missing what is available and ready to go.