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Things to Know about Wounded Warrior Project’s Drone Pilot Training
Did you hear the buzz? Wounded Warrior Project brings innovative career training opportunities to San Diego veterans Who was flying drones in San Diego last month? Fifteen veterans from Southern California and Arizona were training to become commercial drone pilots as part of a Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) career counseling program called Warriors to Work®. The training started in June with online instruction and wrapped up in August with hands-on coaching. As part of the program, the warriors tested for and obtained their Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 107 certification to become licensed commercial drone pilots. Moving forward, the warriors will work with WWP career counselors to find opportunities in this exciting field. This group of warriors is the second cohort to complete the drone pilot training; the first was on the East Coast of the United States. WWP plans to offer similar opportunities to warriors in other parts of the country. 40
WWW.HomelandMagazine.com / September 2021
How much did this training cost? All WWP programs and services are free for warriors registered with the nonprofit. Veterans and service members who sustained a visible or invisible injury, illness, or wound while serving in the military after Sept. 11, 2001, are eligible for WWP’s programs and services. How can flying a drone become a career? WWP connects warriors to innovative employment opportunities. According to the FAA, more than 240,000 remote drone pilots are now certified by the government agency. That number is expected to increase as drones become more valuable to the operations and efficiency of several industries. Applications for commercial drone pilots include defense, emergency medical services, telecommunications, real estate, construction, oil and gas, events and entertainment, and sanitation, among others. The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International estimates that by 2025 there will be more than 100,000 new drone pilot jobs.
