The Georgia Army National Guard has launched a new initiative to train its personnel as proficient drone operators. The 12-day Unmanned Aerial Systems Operator’s Course focuses on small, first-person-view quadcopters, primarily the RQ-28 Short Range Reconnaissance drone produced by Skydio. The foldable, backpack-portable drone features AI-driven obstacle navigation and advanced thermal and visual recognition capabilities, enabling a wide range of reconnaissance and operational tasks. Developed under the leadership of Brig. Gen. Jason Fryman, the program was designed in six months with input from six experienced instructors. Troops receive classroom instruction followed by field exercises, learning to integrate the drones into mission scenarios such as route and zone reconnaissance for engineering and operational planning. The overarching objective is to cultivate master trainers within the Guard who can disseminate drone expertise, laying the foundation for future use of larger unmanned systems and increasing overall readiness in emerging aerial reconnaissance domains.
