Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operator

“You'll fly the drones that infantry platoons and companies are increasingly depending on for situational awareness, target acquisition, and battle damage assessment. UAS operators are embedded at the lowest tactical levels where their platforms provide a decisive edge. The commercial UAS industry is growing every year and civilian operators with military ISR experience are specifically recruited.”

You will operate UAS platforms in wind, rain, and terrain that was not designed for good signal. The tactical UAS mission sounds like the future — and it is — but the day-to-day involves a lot of maintenance, battery management, and explaining to a lieutenant why the drone can't do what the brochure said it could. The FAA Part 107 certification pathway is accessible with your background and gives civilian employers a credential they recognize. Commercial drone operations for survey, infrastructure inspection, agriculture, and public safety are a legitimate post-military career, and military ISR experience adds operational credibility that commercial-only operators cannot match.