Want to trade places?

As an Army aviator deployed to eastern Afghanistan, I can appreciate the significant impact that unmanned aerial vehicles have had on the battlefield ("The War Room," article, Oct. 27).

I find it very difficult to empathize with the UAV operators who fly these from the comfort of an air-conditioned room in the U.S., and then go home to their families every night. Although these men and women are contributing significantly to overall mission accomplishment, they are neither physically on the battlefield nor in the skies being engaged by the enemy. As stressful as it may seem, it can’t come close to the stress those of us on the ground and in the skies deal with! Rocket-propelled grenades and bombs will not penetrate the monitors these airmen watch from their "Naugahyde chairs in their cramped trailers."

Maybe the soldiers in the Korengal or Kamdesh valleys of Afghanistan will trade jobs with these airmen who are having trouble coping with the rigorous demands of combat!

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Brock Olbert
Forward Operating Base Fenty, Afghanistan