The defense appropriations for 2026 included funding for a mental health study on piloting unmanned aircraft systems in combat, Military Times reported. The study will illuminate the impacts of drone piloting and inform future policy efforts.
An Air Force study back in 2014 highlighted the prevalence of PTSD in a group of 1,000 drone pilots, sparking concern for pilots’ mental health. The 2026 study will include an “assessment of the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, burnout, moral injury and other mental health conditions.”
The report is set to be due this December to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.
Marines photo by Cpl. Joshua Bustamante