Free Republic

Scientists, engineers and policymakers are all figuring out ways drones can be used better and more smartly, more precise and less damaging to civilians, with longer range and better staying power. One method under development is by increasing autonomy on the drone itself. Eventually, drones may have the technical ability to make even lethal decisions autonomously: to respond to a programmed set of inputs, select a target and fire their weapons without a human reviewing or checking the result. Yet the idea of the U.S. military deploying a lethal autonomous robot, or LAR, is sparking controversy. Though autonomy might address...

CAMP HANBBANIYAH, Iraq (June 13, 2006) -- Marines from 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion wouldn’t consider themselves good neighbors unless they lent a hand combating snipers, small-arms fire and roadside bombs in 120 degree heat. For two weeks, D Company, 3rd LAR, assisted 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment take over a new area of operations in the city, located between Ar Ramadi and Al Fallujah. They patrolled the region, conducting counterinsurgency operations and keeping the routes clear of improvised explosive devices, in addition they assisted in several humanitarian efforts. “We kept the area secure while 3/5 ... got a more...

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Jan. 25, 2006) -- In combat, Navy corpsmen are relied on to be ready to treat any type of injury or mass causality situation, sometimes risking their own lives in the process. Petty Officer 3rd Class Jason C. Deguzman, from Santa Rosa, Calif., did this more than once, earning him the Bronze Star Medal for his achievement during combat operations. On May 13, 2005, the corpsman with Company C, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division responded to mass casualties that happened when a crowded civilian bus collided into the rear of a...