Earlier this month, the Air Force took another big step in institutionalizing its new enlisted career field for airmen who operate sensors on remotely piloted aircraft by accepting, for the first time ever, students directly from basic military training into its new basic sensor operator training course at Randolph AFB, Tex. Of the 14 students in the BSOT course that began on Jan. 15, eight came straight from BMT at Lackland AFB, Tex., joining six students, who have prior Air Force service and are being retrained for this role. TSgt. Sonny Cohrs, a spokesman for Randolph’s 12th Flying Training Wing told the Daily Report Tuesday that this first inclusion of fresh BMT graduates is “a very big deal” for the ramp-up of this training. It’s one of several efforts underway to speed the flow of airmen to operate MQ-1 and MQ-9 unmanned surveillance aircraft. (Includes Randolph report by Sean Bowlin)
U.S. Southern Command recently announced its first lethal strike on a suspected narco-trafficking vessel in two months, and the first under a newly formed permanent counter-cartel task force. The U.S. is also reportedly planning to transfer MQ-9 drones to Colombia to bolster its counter-cartel efforts.