By Morgan Montalvo
WOAI News
Three Air Force non-commissioned officers today pin on their pilot's wings in a graduation ceremony at Randolph Air Force Base.
The trio of sergeants are part of the Enlisted Pilots Initial Class, or EPIC, and are slated to operate the RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance and reconnaissance remotely piloted aircraft, commonly referred to as an RPA or drone. Identified for security reasons only as "Master Sgt. Mike," Master Sgt. Alex" and "Technical Sgt. Mike," they are the first U.S. military enlisted personnel to train as pilots since World War 2.
All three "flying sergeants" completed 50 hours of conventional aircraft training in Colorado before their assignment to Randolph for remotely-operated aircraft, or "drone" training. The trio will proceed to Beale Air Force Base in California for advanced training specific to the Global Hawk, a sophisticated aircraft about the size of a commuter jetliner.
Global Hawks provide commanders with real-time intelligence and related information and can loiter over target areas for hours, far longer than satellites or other surveillance aircraft. Drones are usually launched from air bases near a conflict zone, but piloted by operators at military facilities inside the U.S.
The U.S. military began training limited numbers of enlisted pilots in the 1920s and continued the practice into the early 1940s. By 2020 the Air Force hopes to have about 100 enlisted pilots trained and operating RPAs.
PHOTO COURTESY: RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE